Arriva's treatment of Lisa Muggeridge

If anyone knows the lady in question they might like to tell her that she should appeal against her fine. (See Hebweb news)

There is no first class accommodation on the 15.46 service from York to Blackpool, the service Ms Muggeridge used. It is not advertised in any timetable as having first class accommodation, nor, if you tried to buy a first class ticket from one of the stations, could any member of staff sell you one.

Arriva have first class accommodation on their Transpennine services via Huddersfield. They don't have it on their service to Blackpool. The fact that there is occasionally a first class compartment on the Blackpool service is more a reflection on their inability to roster the correct rolling stock. There cannot be first class on a service which is not timetabled as such and for which you can't buy tickets.

Any signs to the effect that an area of a train is reserved for first class passengers is therefore erroneous. If you sit in the so-called first class seats, you can't be asked to upgrade or move, because there is no first class on that service.

If I were Ms Muggeridge, I'd throw the book at Arriva.

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