Tickets & Savings

 

Changing and Cancelling tickets

PLEASE NOTE:

Following the government’s advice to avoid non-essential travel, train companies are offering a fee free refund on all Anytime, Off-Peak and Advance tickets purchased for a future journey before 07:00 on Monday 23 March 2020. Contact the train company who sold you the ticket for more details.

If you purchased your ticket from another retailer, please contact them for details of refunds.

Full details are at www.nationalrail.co.uk/coronavirus

Changing a ticket

Whether you can change your ticket depends on the type of ticket you have already purchased.

Changes to tickets can be made at most National Rail ticket offices before you travel. Alternatively, you can call the telesales outlet or visit the online retailer that you bought your ticket from.

Please note that ticket offices can change any ticket printed on orange National Rail ticket stock.  They will also endeavour to change eTickets (barcode and self-print) and tickets held on a smartcard.  However, in some cases, these will need to be returned to the original retailer to be changed.

Ticket Types

Advance Tickets

Changes to time or date of travel must be arranged before departure of the first reserved train printed on the ticket, after which the ticket has no value and a new one must be purchased.

You will need to present the ticket(s) and reservation(s) when you request a change.

If there are still other Advance fares available, you can change it to another Advance fare. You will be charged an admin fee of £10 per ticket. If there are no Advance fares available, you can upgrade the ticket to the most appropriate ticket for the journey you now want to make. You will have to pay any difference in fare and an admin fee of £10 per ticket.

Please note that changes to 'Advance' fares cannot be made on-board the train. If you board a train without a ticket and reservation for that service, a new ticket must be purchased.

Off-Peak Tickets

These tickets don't require you to travel on a specific train, but they do have restrictions on the time you can travel.

Check at the station before you travel: you may find you don't need to pay an additional fare as long as your outward travel date remains the same.

Off-Peak Day and the outward part of Off Peak tickets are only valid on the date shown on the ticket. If you need to change this date, you will need to cancel your ticket (see below) and buy a new ticket.

Anytime Tickets

There are no time restrictions on when you can travel with this ticket. Anytime Singles are valid to complete your journey within two days. Outward portions of Anytime Returns are valid 5 days and the return portion one calendar month. Anytime Day tickets are valid only on the date shown on the ticket for 'Anytime Day' tickets

If you plan to change the route that you take, you will most likely have to pay an additional fare. Please check at the ticket office or the retailer website.

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Getting a refund and cancelling a ticket

With the exception of Advance tickets and some special offers where refunds are not available, a ticket may be refunded before travel. In the case of a return, the return portion may be refunded while still valid. A refund fee may apply.

You can get a refund by returning your ticket to the place you purchased it.  If this was a ticket office, you'll need to complete a refund application form. If this was over the telephone or the internet, you should return it by post with a covering letter. More information about refunds is available here.

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Delays and cancellations

If your journey was delayed or cancelled, you may be entitled to compensation.

Information about claiming compensation is available at www.nationalrail.co.uk/compensation

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More information

If you'd like more information about changing or cancelling a rail ticket, you can:

  • Speak to someone at your nearest station
  • Telephone a Train Company telesales centre
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Last updated:   20 October 2020

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