If your train journey is delayed or cancelled you may be entitled to a full refund from the retailer of your ticket or compensation from the train company that caused the delay. 

Sadly, train delays are commonplace nowadays.

In the latest quarter (1 April to 30 June 2024), 70.1% of recorded station stops in the UK (14.4 million out of 20.5 million) arrived on time.

Around the Christmas period, you don't need us to tell you that delays get even worse and in some cases, trains are cancelled altogether.

But you may be entitled to a refund or some sort of compensation if that happens.

Here is National Rail's policy for refunds and compensation.

Refunds

If your train is delayed or cancelled and you choose not to travel, your unused ticket can be refunded without any fees by the original retailer. If you bought your ticket from a train company, you can find their contact information on our Find a Train Company page. Tickets purchased from self-service vending machines at stations should provide information on how to refund a ticket.

Compensation

If you are travelling and arrive late at your destination due to a cancelled or delayed service, you may be able to claim compensation. You will need to request compensation directly from your train company.

Compensation will depend on:

  • which train company you travelled with – different companies have different schemes, but they all offer compensation
  • the type of ticket you have – for example, compensation for a single-day ticket is calculated differently than that for a 7-day Season ticket
  • the length of the delay in arriving at your destination – each train company has its compensation threshold, which will be detailed in their Passenger’s Charter on their website.

For example, if you are delayed by over an hour, you will generally receive more compensation than if you were delayed by 15 to 30 minutes.

Claims can be made online, or by post using a form that you can download from a train company website or get from a staffed station.

Some train companies allow customers to register certain tickets online to make future claims quicker and easier.

Delay Repay

Delay Repay is a nationwide scheme that makes getting compensation for delayed train journeys easier. If you are delayed for any reason when you travel on a participating National Rail service you can claim Delay Repay.

The delay is calculated against either the normal timetable or an amended timetable published in advance (for example during planned engineering works at weekends). 

Recommended reading:

National Rail Conditions of Travel

The National Rail Conditions of Travel outlines the minimum compensation offered through a train company’s Passenger Charter.

However, most companies pay more than the minimum and also provide compensation for shorter delays.