Delay Repay time limit: the last day to claim

Each operator's limit

Every operator accepts claims for at least 28 days. The table lists the limit each one publishes, with the last day for a journey made today.

Counting the days

The count is simple: add 28 days to the date of the journey. A journey on a Monday can be claimed until the Monday four weeks later. Nothing pauses the count, not a weekend, a bank holiday or a strike. Do not wait for the last evening: a site maintenance window or a slow upload of a ticket photo can make you miss it.

Two cases need care. On a return ticket, the outward and the return journeys are separate claims, each with its own date. On a season ticket, each delayed journey has its own limit too, even if you claim several in one go, so the oldest journey of a batch sets the date to beat.

Refunds have a different clock

If the train you wanted was cancelled, delayed or rescheduled and you decided not to travel, you are owed a full refund without a fee under condition 30. That is not Delay Repay: you notify the train company or the retailer in writing within 28 days of the day you meant to travel, and the money is due within 14 days of the claim being agreed. For a ticket you no longer want for other reasons, the rule since 1 April 2026 is stricter: the refund must be asked before the ticket becomes valid, by 23:59 the day before. The tool under the citable block above checks both cases.

What to keep until the claim is paid

• The ticket, or a clear photo of both sides, or the booking reference of an e-ticket.
• The planned departure of the train you meant to catch, a field on every form.
• Your real arrival time at your destination, noted on the day.
• The claim reference and the confirmation email.

Condition 33.1 lets you keep a used ticket for this purpose. If a ticket gate retains a paper ticket at the end of a journey, ask staff for it back or for a receipt before leaving the station, or photograph it before passing the gate.

After the claim

Once the operator agrees the claim, the money is due within 14 days, with an industry target of one month for the whole process. If there is no answer after 40 working days, or the answer is a refusal you disagree with, the Rail Ombudsman can take the complaint. Its own limit is 12 months after the operator's final response. The rejected claims page lists the reasons operators give and how to answer them.