Cancellations and refunds
Train cancelled: your rights and your options
Independent site, not a train company or claims service. You claim only through your operator’s own form.
Enter the time of the cancelled train: the tool gives the window in which another operator’s train can take your ticket.
Which trains can I take after a cancellation?
Another operator’s train leaving
16:15 to 20:15
| Same operator | 2 trains before or after |
| Scheme in force since | 20 September 2026 |
| Operators taking part | 17 |
When your train is cancelled in Great Britain, you have four options, and you choose. You can travel on another train: the National Rail Conditions of Travel normally let you use one of the 2 trains before or after the cancelled one with the same operator, and since 20 September 2026 passengers of 17 participating operators can also board another participating company's train leaving within 2 hours before or after it, on a direct or reasonable route, by showing their original ticket. If you are likely to be more than 60 minutes late, you can use the ticket on a later date with comparable restrictions. If you decide not to travel at all, the unused ticket is refunded in full with no fee. And if you travel and arrive late, Delay Repay applies, counted from the planned arrival of the train you meant to take. East Midlands Railway will join the cross-operator scheme later. The tool above gives the two-hour window for any departure time.
Refund if you give up on a disrupted trip
Refund
£45
| Administration fee | £0 |
| Tell the retailer by | 23 November 2026 |
| Paid within | 14 days of agreement |
Schemes and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Option 1: another train
| Rule | Which trains | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Same operator | 2 trains before or after the cancelled one; another option if trains are infrequent | Conditions of Travel, 28.3 |
| Other operator | a participating operator's train within 2 hours before or after, direct or reasonable route | DfT, from 20 September 2026 |
| Major disruption | what staff and the operator announce (ticket acceptance) | station and operator notices |
The operators taking part in the cross-operator scheme are c2c, Gatwick Express, Greater Anglia, Great Northern, LNER, London Northwestern Railway, Northern, Southeastern, Southern, Thameslink, South Western Railway, TransPennine Express, West Midlands Railway, Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, Great Western Railway. East Midlands Railway will join later.
Option 2: travel another day
Condition 28.4 of the Conditions of Travel lets you use your ticket on a later date when your train is likely to be more than 60 minutes late, subject to comparable restrictions on the ticket. For an Advance ticket, which is tied to a train, the operator issues a replacement; its website or staff tell you how. You then claim no delay for that journey, since you chose another day.
Option 3: a full refund
If you give up the trip because the train is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, or your reservation cannot be honoured, condition 30 gives a full refund of the unused ticket, without an administration fee, from the retailer or operator that sold it. The same applies if you set off, could not complete the journey and went back to your starting point. You must notify the claim within 28 days of the day you meant to travel, and the refund is paid within 14 days of being agreed. The refund page has the details.
Refund if you give up on a disrupted trip
Refund
£45
| Administration fee | £0 |
| Tell the retailer by | 23 November 2026 |
| Paid within | 14 days of agreement |
Option 4: travel and claim Delay Repay
If you travel on a later train and arrive late, the delay is measured from the planned arrival of the train you intended to catch to your real arrival, using the timetable in force on the day. A cancellation that makes you 45 minutes late on a £30 single with Northern is worth £15. If the next train is an hour later, the claim reaches the 60-minute band: £30.
If you are stranded
When disruption stops you completing a journey for which your ticket is valid, condition 28.2 expects the train companies, so far as they reasonably can, to arrange another way to reach your destination or, if necessary, overnight accommodation. After 60 minutes of delay, some companies provide refreshments (condition 28.6). Ask staff before paying for a taxi or a hotel yourself, and keep receipts; our page on stranded passengers covers what to ask for.
Before you leave the station
Ask staff which trains accept your ticket today, and photograph the departure board showing the cancellation: it supports any later claim. If you board another operator's train under the cross-operator scheme, keep your original ticket ready to show on board. Note the time you finally arrive: it is the basis of the Delay Repay claim, which our claim guide covers.