Passenger Rights to Refunds & Compensation

Abandoned Journeys - Delayed or Cancelled Trains

1. I bought a train ticket and my train has been cancelled or delayed and I can’t make my journey anymore – can I get my money back?

Under the National Rail Conditions of Travel, if you have purchased a ticket and your train is cancelled or delayed, and you choose not to travel, you may return the unused ticket to the original retailer which the ticket was purchased from and you will be given a full refund with no administration fee being charged. This applies to all tickets including those which are usually non-refundable

2. I have a Season Ticket and my train has been cancelled or delayed and I can’t make my journey anymore – can I get my money back?

If you are using a Season Ticket, the amount of money that you may claim back for a delay or cancellation varies between Train Companies, and will be set out in that Train Company's Passenger’s Charter. Please refer to the Passenger’s Charter of the Train Company you were travelling on.

Links to all Train Company's Charters are available here.

3. The timetable changed after I bought my ticket, can I choose not to travel and get a refund?

If a timetable is changed after you have purchased a ticket and you decide not to travel, you can claim a full refund (without administration fee) as set out in the National Rail Conditions of Travel.

Refunds - General questions

4. How do I get my refund?

To receive a refund you must claim from where you bought your ticket. Your claim will be considered without undue delay and any compensation due will be paid within 14 days of your claim being agreed by the retailer.

5. How will I receive my refund?

You will receive your refund by the same method that you used to pay for the ticket, unless you agree to a different method of repayment. The retailer will pay the refund amount without deducting any administration fee.

6. How do I get my refund?

If you purchase a Ticket and then choose not to travel, you may apply for a refund from the original retailer or Train Company from whom it was purchased, unless the terms and conditions of your Ticket (advance Tickets for instance) indicate this is non-refundable.

An administration charge may also be made, which will not excess £10 per Ticket; however, if the administrative charge, and/or other deductions exceed the refund amount no refund will be payable.

7. How will I receive my refund?

You will receive your refund by the same method that you used to pay for the ticket, unless you agree to a different method of repayment.

Completed Journey - Delayed or Cancelled Trains

8. My train was delayed or cancelled and I chose to travel on a delayed service or on a following service – can I get any money back?

If you do travel, either on a delayed service or on the following one because your train has been cancelled, you may be entitled to compensation. This should be claimed from the Train Company on which you were scheduled to travel.

You may have a right to some (or all) of your money back depending on the Train Company you used and their Passenger's Charter.

The delay thresholds and process for claiming are set out in the relevant Passenger's Charter – you may get back a proportion (or all) of the price of the ticket depending on the length of the delay.

9. I have a season ticket and my train is often late – can I get any money back?

You have a right to money back as compensation depending on the Train Company you use and their Passenger's Charter. The delay thresholds and process for claiming are set out in the relevant Passenger's Charter.

10. My train was delayed and I missed the last connection to my destination – there was no staff to help so I paid for a taxi to get me there – can I get my money back?

Where possible, a Train Company will arrange a taxi or replacement bus for a missed last connection. If for whatever reason this isn't possible and you incur reasonable costs for your own onward travel, you may be able to claim back reasonable additional expenses to your final destination.

The Train Company will consider these claims on a case-by-case basis. Write directly to the Train Company on which you were delayed to claim back reasonable costs for onward travel. Make sure you keep your receipt.

Unsatisfactory Service

11. My train was on time but I was not happy with the on board service (no toilets/ promised food not available/ weak wi-fi etc.) Can I get my money back?

First check the relevant Passenger's Charter. If you cannot find your complaint answered, write to the Train Company stating the details of your case. They will review claims on a case by case basis.

If you have paid for an additional service that you did not receive, then you will normally be entitled to a full refund of the additional charge and you should contact the Train Companies customer services department. Where you did not pay anything for the service, you will not normally be offered a refund.

12. Can I claim compensation for short delays?

Train Companies will not normally offer compensation for delays shorter than the limits set out in each Train Company's Passenger’s Charter. The delay limits vary between Operators; some offer compensation for delays of 30 minutes and even 15 minutes, but you will always be entitled to claim if there is a delay of 60 minutes or more.

13. Can I claim compensation if the timetable changes?

You can claim compensation for delays due to changes to the timetable advertised for the day you intended to travel by following the rail industry refund processes. Your claim will be considered without undue delay and any compensation due will be paid within 14 days of your claim being agreed by the Train Company.

Train Companies aim to process all claims through this process within one month of receipt.

14. Can I receive compensation if I don’t get a seat?

Compensation is not normally offered where no seats are available, but claims may be considered where a reservation has been made.

15. Can I claim compensation if I paid for a First Class Seat and there were none available?

If you have paid for a First Class ticket and no First Class seats are available (or where a First Class carriage was advertised but not available), then you will be able to claim through the Train Company for the difference in fare between your fare and a walk-up Standard class fare for the same service. Please note that occasionally a promotional or Advance First Class fare can be cheaper than the walk-up Standard Class fare and in these cases you may not be entitled to any money back.

Compensation

16. Am I entitled to Compensation?

TRAIN OPERATING COMPANY

c2c - Caledonian Sleeper – CrossCountry - East Midlands Trains - Gatwick Express Grand Central - Great Northern - Greater Anglia - Heathrow Express - Hull Trains - LNER - London Northwestern Railway - London Overground - Merseyrail - Northern -ScotRail -Southeastern - Southern - South Western Railway - Stanstead Express -TfL Rail -Thameslink - TransPennine Express - Transport for Wales -Virgin Trains -West Midlands Railway

COMPENSATION

Passengers are entitled to compensation for any delay to a journey greater than the limit set out in the Train Companies Passenger’s Charter. This is regardless of the cause. The minimum delay varies between Train Companies and details on how to claim will be on each Train Companies website.

TRAIN OPERATING COMPANY

Great Western Railway Chiltern Railways*

COMPENSATION

Ticket holders (including 7-Day Season Tickets) Customers with these tickets are entitled to compensation for any delay to a journey greater than the limit set out in the Train Companies Passenger’s Charter. This excludes circumstances beyond the Train Companies control. The minimum delay varies between Train Company and details on how to claim will be on the Train Company’s website. Monthly or longer Season Tickets Where the service is seriously disrupted, the Train Company may declare a ‘void day’. In these circumstances a Season Ticket Holder will be credited the value of the lost period of travel on renewal or expiry of their ticket. In other cases, you may get a discount on Monthly and longer Season tickets when you renew, depending on whether the performance targets for the Train Company you use have been met. These targets will vary according to the route travelled on, so customers should check the relevant Train Company. If the performance targets are missed, customers will receive an automatic discount on their ticket when they renew it, regardless of whether they have been affected by delays or not.

*Season Ticket Renewal discounts do not apply under this scheme for Season Tickets to/from stations between Amersham and London. (These tickets are available on both Chiltern Railways and London Underground services, and are covered by the Transport for London Passengers Charter - see the TfL website (www.tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/)

17. How do I get my compensation?

If you wish to make a claim for compensation, you must write to the relevant Train Company within 28 days of completing the relevant journey unless informed otherwise by the Train Company. Your claim will be considered without undue delay and any compensation due will be paid within 14 days of your claim being agreed by the Train Company.

Train Companies aim to process all claims through this process within one month of receipt.

18. How will I receive my compensation?

You will receive your compensation or refund by the same method that you used to pay for the ticket, unless you agree to a different method of repayment. The Train Company will pay the refund amount without deducting any administration fee.

Additional Forms of Compensation

19. Are there other types of compensation available?

Where a Train Company has provided a service without reasonable care and skill, and it was their fault, the Consumer Rights Act (CRA) provides you with another way to claim for compensation (which will usually be money). The compensation you get under the CRA could be more than the price of the ticket, but you have to prove it was the Train Company's fault.
The CRA does not apply if delays or problems are caused by external events that are not within the Train Company's control, or were caused by a third party.

20. When does the Consumer Rights Act apply?

If you are travelling as a consumer, the CRA provides you with certain rights and remedies where a Train Company is at fault, including the right to a price reduction (i.e. money back) where a service has not been carried out with reasonable care and skill.

The relevant part of the CRA has applied to rail passenger services since 1 October 2016.

For more information about making a claim under the CRA, see https://www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights

The CRA does not apply if delays or problems are caused by external events that are not within the Train Company's control, or were caused by a third party. Examples of events outside the Train Company's control include animals straying onto the line, or bad weather.

21. Can I claim for more than the price of the ticket?

Under the National Rail Conditions of Travel, and the Passenger’s Charter, only in exceptional circumstances will a Train Company consider claims beyond the price of your ticket. A Train Company is not obliged under its contract to compensate you, but you may have a claim against the Train Company under the Consumer Rights Act.

A train cancellation means you cannot make your last connection and you are stranded:
If the Train Company is unable to make onward travel provisions, and you incur reasonable costs, the Train Company will consider these claims on a case-by-case basis. If you wish to ask the Train Company to consider repayment of reasonable costs you should contact the relevant Train Company directly.

22. How do I ask for compensation above the price of my ticket?

In exceptional circumstances a Train Company, at its discretion, may consider claims for other losses beyond the cost of your ticket. If you wish to ask the Train Company to consider making a discretionary payment, you should write in the first instance to the Train Company at the address which can be found at http://www.nationalrail.co.uk or by calling 0345 748 4950. Please note that this does not affect your statutory rights under the Consumer Rights Act.

23. What other remedies are there for a customer?

The Train Company's have rail industry refund processes that work in parallel with the Consumer Rights Act, details of which are set out in the National Rail Conditions of Travel.

What you can claim for, and how much you can claim, is in the National Rail Conditions of Travel – you should also look at the Train Companies Passenger’s Charter. If your train is delayed or cancelled, and you do not travel, you can claim for a full refund. If your train is delayed and you do travel, you may be entitled to compensation. The amount of compensation depends on the length of the delay and as agreed in the Train Company’s Passenger Charter

What if I am still not happy?

If you are not satisfied with the response to your claim, you should contact the Train Operator’s customer services department, giving them the chance to review your claim.

If you are still unhappy, you should contact the Rail Ombudsman. You should also consider whether you have a claim under the Consumer Rights Act and you can find out more about the Consumer Rights Act here.