Compensation

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.

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.

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 an administration fee) as set out in the National Rail Conditions of Travel.

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.

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. If you did not travel because your train was cancelled or delayed, the retailer will pay the refund amount without deducting any administration fee.

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.

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

You have a right to money back 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.

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.

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 COMPANY's customer services department. Where you did not pay anything for the service, you will not normally be offered a refund.

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 TRAIN COMPANIES; 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.

Transport for Wales offers compensation if your train is delayed by just 15 minutes - find out more.

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.

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.

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.

Consumer Rights Act (CRA)

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.

When does the CRA 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.

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 CRA. Examples of exceptional circumstances that a TRAIN COMPANY may consider are: If you have purchased and are using a valid ticket and are unable to complete your journey due to disruption, for example if you missed your connection due to a delayed train: TRAIN COMPANIES will, where it reasonably can, provide you with alternative means of travel to your destination, or if deemed necessary provide overnight accommodation or a taxi home for you. 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.

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 (CRA). Please note: You cannot recover compensation for the same loss twice. If you recover money under the no-fault industry refund processes, you cannot claim the same amount under the CRA. But you can still make a claim under the CRA for any loss not recovered through the industry fund process.

What other remedies are there for a customer? 

The TRAIN COMPANIES have rail industry refund processes that work in parallel with the CRA, 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 COMPANY's 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 COMPANIES Passenger Charter
 

If you bought a season ticket and no longer want to use it you must apply for a refund as quickly as possible.

This is because any refund is calculated from the date the retailer receives the season ticket.

How is a season ticket refund calculated?

Season ticket refunds are not calculated based on the pro-rata number of days they were used for. Instead any refund will be calculated based on the types of tickets that you would have needed to purchase to make those journeys. The below table provides examples of how season ticket refunds are calculated.

If you are not happy 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 Transport Focus, the independent transport watchdog. For journeys within the London area, you should contact London Travel Watch. You should also consider whether you have a claim under the CRA and you can find out more about the CRA here.

We always encourage our customer-facing staff to try to resolve your problems immediately wherever possible.

What happens if they can't?

They'll provide you with the contact details for our Customer Relations team so that we can progress your complaint using our complaints handling procedure.

Your feedback is passed to the relevant managers to investigate as this ensures the relevant department understands the views of our passengers and can take any appropriate steps to improve the service that we offer.

Refunds on tickets that have not been used. 

If you changed your mind and decided not to travel you can apply for a refund. An administration fee (£5.00) will be deducted from your refund claim. Some ticket types such as Advance tickets cannot be refunded. You must do this no more than 28 days after the expiry of the ticket.

Your right to a refund if your train is disrupted and you choose not to travel

If the train you intended to use was cancelled, delayed, or your reservation was not honoured and you decide not to travel you are entitled to claim a full refund from the ticket retailer with no administration fee being charged. This applies to all tickets, including Advance tickets, and also applies if you have begun your journey but are unable to complete it due to delay or cancellations and return to your point of origin.

All refund requests will be processed as soon as possible, and no later than 1 month after it is received.

You must provide the original tickets with your refund claim.

If your journey was delayed due to a disruption on the rail network, you may be entitled to compensation. The Train Company who caused you the disruption is responsible for providing any compensation. If your journey was delayed by Transport for Wales please complete our compensation claim form here.