Suppose that I have a booked train only ticket (such as an Advance fare) consisting of more than one segment.
If the first train is late and I miss my connection to the second train, I can take a later train despite the notice booked train only.
If I already know that the first train is late before I depart, can I take an earlier first train, thus permitting me to catch the second train that I would otherwise have missed?
Case example: in the aftermath of Storm Desmond, pretty much all trains from Scotland and North West England to the Midlands and London are running 15–45 minutes late. Travellers who would normally transfer in the Midlands to catch (non-delayed) trains to the South Coast would miss their connection. Suppose I have a ticket where the second segment is the last train from Birmingham to the South Coast and I know I will miss it if I catch my booked train; can I depart earlier so I make it home the same day without the train company having to book me a taxi home in the middle of the night?
(I suspect that in practice, train staff will be friendly about this, but I wonder if there are any rules about it.)