How to Claim Delay Repay When Your British Train Runs Late — Epoche B1
If your train in Britain arrives fifteen minutes late, you are owed money back under a published scheme called Delay Repay. It is not a favour from the train company, and it is not decided by whether the staff feel sorry for you. Here is how to claim it. The compensation ladder Delay on arrival Refund of a single fare 15-29 minutes 25 per cent, on operators offering the fifteen-minute threshold 30-59 minutes 50 per cent 60-119 minutes 100 per cent 120 minutes or more 100 per cent of the full fare paid Steps Keep the ticket. A paper ticket, or the booking reference for a digital one, is your proof of travel. Do not put it in the barrier on the way out if you can avoid it. Note two times: the scheduled arrival at your destination and the actual arrival. The delay is measured where you got off, not where the problem happened. Identify the operator whose train you were on. You claim from that company, not from the station. File within the window. On most operators this is 28 days, so check and do not delay. Attach a photograph of the ticket and choose how you want to be paid. If the claim is refused, ask for the reason in writing and take it further to the rail ombudsman. One point surprises people. The operator pays even when the delay was not its fault, including flooding, a broken rail or another company's failure. Costs are settled between the companies afterwards. Some operators now pay automatically for tickets bought through an account, which is worth setting up. References Rail Delivery Group (2024). National Rail Conditions of Travel. Rail Delivery Group, London. Consumer Rights Act 2015, c. 15. The Stationery Office, London. Office of Rail and Road (2019). Measuring Up: Rail Consumer Report. Office of Rail and Road, London.