Refunds for delayed trains in the UK are probably the most generous in Europe – but prepare to do some digging to find out what you’re entitled to, says Alex McWhirter.

One weekday last November, I travelled on the 1229 service with East Midlands Trains from Sheffield to London St Pancras. Stepping off the train at St Pancras, I realised my good fortune. My journey had not cost me a penny.

Why? Because my train had been delayed by just over 60 minutes on its southbound journey. Under the Delay Repay scheme operated by East Midlands, I was entitled to a full refund – as were hundreds of my fellow passengers. But how many would bother to claim, or know that they were entitled to do so?

The late arrival in London was not the fault of East Midlands but, rather, an infrastructure issue (a fallen tree had blocked the line in Derbyshire). In such cases, Network Rail, the body managing the rail infrastructure, compensates the train operating companies (TOCs) with a net payment. But how much? “This is a rather complex calculation,” says government watchdog Transport Focus.

Our Delay Repay scheme is probably the most generous in Europe. The problem, though, is one of confusion. Reader feedback suggests that TOCs have no standard policy. Some are more proactive than others.

Previously, our readers have praised Virgin Trains (operator of the West Coast route between London and Scotland) and Virgin Trains East Coast (the operator over the East Coast route between London and Scotland) for encouraging delayed passengers to claim. The former operator of the East Coast franchise, called East Coast, also did this. Onboard employees have distributed Delay Repay claim forms, or staff have met the train on arrival and handed them out.

Still, other TOCs may be less helpful. In the case of my journey, the onboard staff made no announcements as to passengers’ entitlement to Delay Repay. When I arrived in St Pancras, there were no announcements and no claim forms on display.

It is true that East Midlands Trains has recently became more proactive on Twitter regarding Delay Repay – all the same, the lack of standardisation is frustrating. East Midlands is 100 per cent part of Stagecoach, which owns 90 per cent of Virgin Trains East Coast and 49 per cent of Virgin Trains, and yet the operators seem to have different practices when it comes to this issue.

According to Transport Focus, only 35 per cent of passengers who were entitled to do so made a claim last year – although this is a rise on the lowly 12 per cent who claimed in 2013. “Our research highlights that just 38 per cent of passengers are satisfied [that a] TOC [sufficiently alerts] them to their right to a refund. TOCs now need to do more to make it easier for passengers to claim,” it says.

Claiming is getting easier. Instead of being refunded only in travel vouchers, passengers can request to be paid in cash direct to a bank account. The process is easier when booking directly with the TOC rather than with an online rail agent.

You can do this all online – with no need to return tickets for verification. However, I did have to wait almost two months (including the Christmas/New Year holidays) for East Midlands to pay out. Transport Focus says it “does not have formal power to compel TOCs to complete compensation claims within a certain period”.

Remember, Delay Repay is yours for the taking. Do not let the opportunity pass you by. See overleaf for examples of how much you can claim.

WHO PAYS WHAT

Over the years, the Delay Repay scheme has become more generous. A few TOCs now compensate for lags of as little as 15 minutes, but, with most, the starting point is 30 minutes.

Even here, there is confusion. Consider the rail links to four of London’s airports. Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express have Delay Repay, which pays out when a service is 15 minutes late or more. This will entitle you to a 25 per cent refund from Gatwick Express and 50 per cent from Heathrow Express, while delays in excess of 30 minutes will offer up to a full refund.

Thameslink, which operates trains to Gatwick and Luton, pays out 25 per cent for delays of 15-29 minutes, rising to 50 per cent for those of 30-59 minutes. The full fare is refunded if the waiting time exceeds 60 minutes. Stansted Express is the stingiest, paying out 50 per cent for delays of 30-59 minutes, with a full refund if the delay is 60 minutes or more. Here are some more examples.

Delays of 30-59 minutes – 50 per cent payout
60-119 minutes – full fare
120 minutes – full fare for return journey:

  • Abellio Greater Anglia (operates commuter trains east of London; Stansted Express operator. Note: 60 minutes or more delay applies to single journey)
  • Chiltern Railways (London Marylebone to Birmingham and Oxford)
  • Cross Country (wide network of regional trains running north-south, east-west but not including London)
  • East Midlands (London St Pancras to the East Midlands and South Yorkshire)
  • London Midland (London Euston to Birmingham, West Midlands, Cheshire)
  • Scotrail (within Scotland only)
  • Virgin Trains (London Euston to the West Midlands, the North West and Scotland)
  • Virgin Trains East Coast (London King’s Cross to Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland)

Delays of 15-29 minutes – 50 per cent payout
30 minutes – 100 per cent:

  • Heathrow Express (fast trains to Heathrow every 15 minutes)

Delays of 15-29 minutes – 25 per cent
30-59 minutes – 50 per cent
60 minutes – full fare

  • Great Northern (commuter services north of London King’s Cross; operator of Thameslink serving Luton and Gatwick)
  • Southern (commuter services south of London; operator of Gatwick Express)

Delays of 60-119 minutes – 100 per cent payout:

  • Great Western Railway (operates from London Paddington to Wales and the West Country)

Delays of 60-120 minutes – 50 per cent
120-180 minutes – 75 per cent
Over 180 minutes – 100 per cent

  • Grand Central (services linking London King’s Cross with Yorkshire).