Delay Repay explained: how to claim for delayed and cancelled UK trains

A cancelled train can leave passengers dealing with two problems: rearranging their journey and working out whether they can claim money back. The starting point is a distinction that is often overlooked. A refund is for a journey you do not take, or cannot complete. Compensation is for a journey you make but finish late. Sending the wrong request to the wrong organisation can make an already frustrating experience last longer.

Refund or compensation?

National Rail says that if your train is delayed or cancelled and you decide not to travel, an unused ticket can be refunded without a fee by its original retailer. That retailer might be a train company, an independent booking service or the organisation identified on a station ticket. Keep the booking confirmation so you can establish who sold it.

If you travel and reach your destination late, compensation is normally requested from the train company responsible for the delay. Buying through an independent retailer does not mean that retailer runs the compensation scheme. Ask the operator for guidance if a journey used several companies or a missed connection made responsibility unclear.

What Delay Repay means

Delay Repay is the name used by many operators for their compensation arrangements. It generally covers eligible delays regardless of their cause, but there is no universal payment table that should be assumed for every journey. The qualifying delay, compensation amount and treatment of different tickets are set out in the relevant company’s Passenger’s Charter.

Some schemes start at 15 minutes, while others use a different threshold. Compensation for a return or season ticket is calculated differently from a single ticket. An article quoting one operator’s rates as if they applied everywhere can therefore mislead passengers. Check the specific scheme before deciding that your delay is too short to claim.

Measure the whole journey

For a journey involving connections, note when you reached the final destination, not simply how late the first train ran. Record the services you intended to use, the connection you missed and the alternative you took. A screenshot of the revised itinerary can be useful alongside the ticket.

Planned engineering works may mean a revised timetable applies. Compare your experience with the timetable relevant to that journey rather than assuming that every extra minute caused by planned works qualifies. If the circumstances are unclear, explain them accurately in the claim and ask the operator to assess eligibility.

Keep useful evidence

Save the ticket, booking reference, travel date and route. For paper tickets, take a clear photograph before passing through a barrier that might retain them. For digital tickets, keep the confirmation and ticket details rather than relying on an app history that may be difficult to find later.

Most operators offer online claims; paper arrangements are also available. Submit promptly. Many schemes use a 28-day claim window, but confirm the actual deadline and evidence requirements for your operator. Some ticket registrations make future claims easier, although passengers should not assume compensation is automatic.

If a claim is rejected

Read the reason given before resubmitting. A wrong travel date, missing ticket or confusion about the responsible company can be corrected. If you disagree with the decision, use the operator’s complaints process and retain the correspondence. Independent escalation may be available through the Rail Ombudsman, subject to its eligibility rules.

Our departures page and disruption dashboard can help you check services before setting out. They are not a substitute for the operator’s compensation terms or a complete record of your journey. Keeping your own evidence makes a fair claim easier to assess and helps separate a ticket refund from compensation for time lost travelling.