Cancellations and refunds
Missed a connection because of a late train
Independent site, not a train company or claims service. You claim only through your operator’s own form.
Type the delay of the first train and the wait for the next connection: the tool gives the delay at your destination and the compensation.
Missed connection: delay at the final station
Compensation
£70
| Late at the final station | about 72 min |
| First train alone | 12 min |
| Who to claim from | the operator that caused the delay; any operator forwards it |
Assumes the next connection runs on time; the claim uses the real arrival time.
Missed connection compensation is worked out on your arrival at your final destination, not on the delay of the first train. A train that arrives 12 minutes late may cost you a connection that runs once an hour, so you reach your destination more than an hour late: that is the delay you claim, and on a single ticket it falls in the 60-minute band, which refunds the whole fare with most operators. The National Rail Conditions of Travel measure compensation by how late you reach your destination station against the timetable of the day, and that you can claim from any train company whose services you used, which forwards the claim to the company responsible. The operator that pays is the one whose late or cancelled train caused the missed connection. Under condition 9.4, a ticket valid only on booked trains stays valid, without penalty, on the next train of the same company when a delayed or cancelled connecting train makes you miss the booked one; keep it and the times, and claim within 28 days of the journey.
Every band for your fare
CrossCountry, from
30 min
| 30–59 min | £35 |
| 60–119 min | £70 |
| 120+ min | £70 |
Single tickets. Return: 25% / 50% / 100% of the return fare per late leg.
Schemes and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Measuring the delay
Write down three times: the planned arrival at your final station, the time you actually arrived there, and the train you missed. The delay is the gap between the first two. The first train's own delay does not matter on its own: 12 minutes late can mean 72 minutes late at your destination, or zero if the connection waited.
| First train late | Wait for next connection | Late at destination | Single of £50, CrossCountry | Single of £50, Southern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 min | 30 min | 38 min | £25 | £25 |
| 12 min | 60 min | 72 min | £50 | £50 |
| 20 min | 15 min | 35 min | £25 | £25 |
| 5 min | 120 min | 125 min | £50 | £50 |
Which operator to claim from
The company responsible is the one whose train was late or cancelled and broke the chain. On a journey from a branch line to a main line, it is often the small operator's train that made you miss an intercity service. Its scheme then applies, even if the ticket was sold by the other company and most of the fare covers the long-distance leg. Condition 32.1 of the Conditions of Travel spares you the guesswork: claim from any company whose trains you used and it forwards the claim.
Missed connection: delay at the final station
Compensation
£70
| Late at the final station | about 72 min |
| First train alone | 12 min |
| Who to claim from | the operator that caused the delay; any operator forwards it |
Assumes the next connection runs on time; the claim uses the real arrival time.
Your ticket on the next train
When a delay makes you miss a connection, continue on the next suitable train to your destination and explain to staff on board. For an Advance ticket, which is tied to booked trains, condition 9.4 of the Conditions of Travel lets you take the next train of the company your ticket was valid with, at no extra cost, when a previous connecting train was delayed or cancelled. If the next train is with another company and your connecting train was cancelled rather than missed, the cross-operator rule of the cancellation page may also help.
Long waits and the last train
If the missed connection was the last one of the day, the Conditions say train companies will, where they reasonably can, arrange another way to reach your destination or, if necessary, overnight accommodation. Ask staff at the station first: arrangements made by the railway are paid by the railway. A taxi you book yourself may or may not be reimbursed, as the stranded passengers page explains.
Claiming a journey with a change
- Enter the journey from your first station to your final station, not just the late leg.
- Give the scheduled departure of your first train and the planned arrival at the end.
- Name the missed connection in the comments, with its time, and the train you finally took.
- Attach every ticket used for the journey.
The calculator at the top of the page uses the bands of the operator you choose for the late train.