Cancellations and refunds
Claiming more than the ticket after a train delay
Independent site, not a train company or claims service. You claim only through your operator’s own form.
Enter the ticket, the delay and what the delay cost you: the tool shows what Delay Repay covers and what must be claimed apart.
Ticket compensation against your other costs
Delay Repay
£35
| Other costs claimed separately | £120 |
| Industry scheme limit | price of the ticket |
| Beyond that | goodwill or Consumer Rights Act |
You cannot recover the same money twice (Conditions of Travel, condition 32).
Consequential losses are the costs a train delay causes beyond the ticket: a missed flight, a non-refundable hotel or concert, a taxi, a lost half-day of paid work. Delay Repay does not cover them. Condition 32.2 of the National Rail Conditions of Travel caps claims under the industry arrangements at the price of your ticket or tickets, and says a train company may consider other losses only in exceptional circumstances, at its sole discretion, on a written request. That is not the end of your rights. The same condition keeps your statutory rights, and the Conditions point to section 49 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015: a service must be performed with reasonable care and skill. A loss that was a foreseeable result of a failure to do so can be claimed from the operator and, if refused, through the Rail Ombudsman for amounts up to £2,500 that are not business losses, or the small claims court. You cannot recover the same money twice: Delay Repay already paid is deducted.
National minimum against the operator’s scheme
Great Western Railway pays
£64
| Conditions of Travel minimum | £32 |
| Minimum applies from | 60 min |
| Operator scheme starts at | 15 min |
Schemes and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Three routes, from simplest to hardest
| Route | What it covers | Limit | Decided by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Delay Repay | a share of the fare, by minutes late | the price of the ticket | the operator, by its published bands |
| Discretionary payment | other losses, in exceptional cases | none set | the operator, at its discretion |
| Consumer Rights Act 2015 | foreseeable losses from a service not performed with reasonable care and skill | what the court or the Ombudsman awards | Rail Ombudsman (up to £2,500) or a court |
Building a claim that holds
- Show the link. The timetable you relied on, the delay, and why the delay caused the loss: the flight left, the event started, the shift began.
- Show you were reasonable. A journey planned with a sensible margin, an attempt to find another train, help asked from staff.
- Show the amount. Receipts, booking confirmations, a payslip or an employer's letter. Deduct anything refunded elsewhere, such as travel insurance.
- Keep it proportionate. A cheap alternative taken promptly is easier to recover than an expensive one.
National minimum against the operator’s scheme
Avanti West Coast pays
£50
| Conditions of Travel minimum | £25 |
| Minimum applies from | 60 min |
| Operator scheme starts at | 15 min |
Sending it
Write to the operator responsible for the delay, separately from the Delay Repay claim. Condition 32.2 asks for a written request to the company's address, which National Rail Enquiries lists. Set out the facts, the costs and the amount, and ask for a final response if the answer is no. 40 working days without an answer, or a final response you disagree with, lets you go to the Rail Ombudsman within 12 months.
Small claims court
If the Ombudsman cannot take the case, because it is a business loss or over £2,500, or you do not accept its decision, the courts remain. For modest sums, the small claims track of the county court in England and Wales, and the simple procedure in Scotland, are designed for people without lawyers, but they involve fees and time. Weigh the amount against the effort, and keep the correspondence with the operator: it is the core of the file.
Travel insurance and cards
Before chasing the operator, check whether travel insurance or a card benefit covers missed departures. Some policies cover a missed departure caused by a public transport failure; read their conditions. An insurer that pays may then deduct what the operator pays, and the operator will deduct what you have already recovered: the same money is never paid twice.
A worked example
A passenger pays £64 for a single to an airport station with Great Western Railway; the train arrives 95 minutes late and the flight is missed, with a new flight costing £180. Delay Repay pays £64, the full fare. The £180 is a separate claim: the passenger shows the booking, the planned arrival leaving a reasonable margin, and the new ticket. The operator may offer something as a gesture; if not, the Ombudsman can consider it, since it is not a business loss and is under £2,500.