Anybody that has tried to use the railways here in the UK over the last few months will tell you that it has been a miserable experience. Some more cynical among us say that it is not news, but however you get to and from your destination, the current industrial action in the form of strikes has affected all forms of transport.
If the trains are not running it puts more people on the roads in their car or on buses but is there anything you can do to get some form of compensation for your inconvenience?
Am I Entitled to A Ticket Refund Because Of The Strike?
Yes, you are entitled to a refund under Condition 30.1 of the National Rail Conditions of Travel. If you have purchased a ticket and your train has been cancelled, delayed or rescheduled due to RMT strike action, you will be entitled to a refund or change of journey.
You will be entitled to a fee-free refund if you’ve booked online, and your train is cancelled or rescheduled. Until 6pm the day before travel, you can make a fee-free change to your train if your train is still running, but you choose not to travel.
If you have an advance ticket, season ticket, and even a car park season ticket you are able to claim some form of compensation due to industrial action.
Your ticket should be submitted for refund within 28 days of expiry.
How Do I Claim My Train Ticket Refund?
You can claim compensation by visiting the train company’s website – most have online forms you can use. You will need to upload a picture of your ticket. You will need to give details of your journey and send your original tickets.
You can also write them a letter if you’d prefer.
My train has been rescheduled, but I don’t want to travel at that time – can I get a refund?
Yes, you can get a refund if your train has been rescheduled due to strike action. Again, you’ll need to do that through your original retailer.
Season ticket holders are entitled to compensation through the Delay Repay scheme for days when they cannot travel due to strike action.
If you have booked a National Rail train ticket in advance of the strikes, you should be entitled to claim a full refund or rearrange your journey without an additional fee.
National Rail says: “If your service has been cancelled, delayed or rescheduled [by strike action], you will be entitled to a change or refund from the original retailer of your ticket. If you have purchased an Advance, Off-Peak or Anytime ticket and choose not to travel, you will be eligible for a change or refund from the original retailer of your ticket.”
What Is Delay Repay?
Delay Repay is a national scheme train companies use to compensate passengers for delays. You can claim compensation if you’re delayed by 15 minutes or more when you travel with us (except when delays are caused by planned engineering work).
You’re legally entitled to compensation of50% of your ticket price if you get to your destination between 30 minutes and an hour late. A full refund if you arrive more than 1 hour late.
If you have already booked rail tickets across any of the dates that a planned strike falls on, don’t worry — you are entitled to a full refund.
Does Delay Repay Cover Missed Connections?
Any additional expenses, often known as ‘consequential loss’, aren’t usually paid for via the Delay Repay scheme, but you are entitled to compensation under the Consumer Rights Act.
If the train operator can determine that you may have been delayed by 15 minutes or more and have subsequently missed your connection, you can apply for compensation or if you have an online account, a claim will be automatically generated for you in your online account.
If you have yet to opt out of receiving auto Delay Repay emails, they will send you an alert email whenever a claim is generated.
The speed and method of ‘Delay Repays’ can vary among rail providers, but you will be covered on National Rail. If you know the provider you were due to use on the day of travel, visit their website to see how to put in a claim.
However, if you brave the trains on the day of the strikes, keep a note of any waiting times and keep receipts in case of disruption.
Are TFL Tickets Included In Refund Scheme?
If the delay happened in the last 28 days and you were delayed for 30 minutes or more, you can claim a refund with a contactless and Oyster account. Or create an account at Help & contacts – Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk). If you’re claiming a refund for a delay on the Elizabeth line and need help seeing your station in the list, call us on 0343 222 1234.
When Are The Next Rail Strikes Going Ahead?
Wednesday 1st, and Friday, February 3rd, are the strike dates to avoid using the rail network and come up with alternative transport options if you had planned to use a train.
Unlike days of strike action by RMT, when some customers have still managed to travel across the country despite delays, cancellations and the risk of their journeys ending abruptly, with one in five trains running — strikes by Aslef, which represents train drivers in England, Scotland and Wales, tend to have even less functioning services.
Which Train Companies Will Be Affected
- Avanti West Coast
- Chiltern Railways
- CrossCountry
- Greater Anglia
- LNER
- London Overground
- East Midlands Railway
- c2c
- Great Western Railway
- Northern Trains
- Southeastern
- South Western Railway
- TransPennine Express
- West Midlands Trains
- GTR
Is It Worth It?
That is entirely up to you. The train companies are legally obliged to refund your ticket. Still, as there will be so many people applying for these refunds, it may be a lengthy process, and some rail operators may (believe it or not) apply a £10 admin fee, so researching the individual policies is definitely worth it.
If you have the time, take full advantage of any compensation or refund being offered, as this looks like an ongoing issue with a long way to resolution.
