How to claim compensation for cancelled trains.

Hundreds of people claim for compensation every day for disruption to their rail journeys, however many passengers do not bother or do not know that they actually have a valid claim.

Commuters who have experienced difficulties travelling on trains are being encouraged to claim back money through the Delay Repay Scheme. It is an initiative that enables passengers whose journeys have been severely disrupted.

Each franchised Train Company has a Passenger’s Charter which is a guide to the level of service you can expect to receive when using their stations and their train services. If your journey is delayed you may be entitled to compensation. The compensation offered depends on the operator you travelled with, ticket type and the length of the delay. Each Train Company will publish the details of their compensation arrangements within their Passenger’s Charter. In addition, the nature of compensation offered will depend on the type of compensatory arrangement that the Train Company has in place according to their franchise commitment. This has been changed and improved over the years as Train Company franchises are renewed or replaced. Most Train Companies now offer ‘Delay Repay’ where daily ticket holders as well as weekly, monthly and longer Season Tickets can claim for delayed journeys as and when they occur. A few Train Companies still operate the original Passenger’s Charter formula where the arrangements will differ for holders of monthly and longer Season Ticket holders. Retain your train ticket and make a note of your journey as both will be required to support any claim for compensation.

The compensation entitlement is as follows: • Delayed journey by 30 minutes or more • A claim must be made within 28 days of the delay • You will need to have proof of purchase i.e. a valid ticket or receipt

Claims can be made directly on the rail providers websites by downloading a simple form which you fill out and sign. Each company has their own rates for compensation, but below is a rough guide most rail companies use to fairly compensate travellers.

• A delay of between 30 and 59 minutes entitles the passenger to compensation of one single ticket to anywhere on the providers network. • A delay of between 60 and 119 minutes entitles the passenger to two single tickets to anywhere on the providers network. • A delay of 120 minutes or more entitles the passenger to compensation of two return tickets anywhere on the providers network. (single or return).

An average of 640 train journeys are cancelled or delayed in Britain every day. So with all these disrupted routes and thousands of people eligible to claim the bill for rail disruptions could reach hundreds of millions.