Cheap train ticketsTrain delays

Compensation for train delays varies widely between train companies

You might imagine you’d get all your money back if your train journey was delayed by three hours – but refunds depend on which company operates your route, and we found one case where just 20% is returned.

We found wide variation in policies on compensation for train delays, charges for buying tickets on board and the cost of cancelling journeys. This postcode lottery was revealed in our survey of 22 train companies.

Refunds for train delays

Not all types of train tickets are refundable, so check the list of ticket types below to see if you're entitled to a refund.

Anytime tickets

• What are they? Anytime train fares are fully flexible tickets, with no time restrictions on when you can travel. You can buy Anytime tickets any time before you travel and you can use your ticket to travel on any train. 
• Refundable? Yes.

Off-peak tickets

• What are they? Off-peak fares are cheaper tickets for travelling on trains that are less busy. These tickets may require you to travel at specific times of day, days of the week or on a specific route. 
• Refundable? Yes.

Advance tickets

• What are they? Advance fares are single (one-way) tickets offering significant savings over Anytime fares. You must book in advance and fares are subject to availability. 
• Refundable? No.

How much you'll get

When we asked about refunds for train journeys that don’t arrive on time, we were told that a 30 minute delay on First TransPennine and London Overground trains gets you a full refund on tickets, while other companies offer up to 50% of what was paid – or nothing at all.

For train delays of an hour, most operators give a 100% refund but some give 50% – or even less. Virgin offers 25%, while on Merseyrail and Arriva Wales you’ll get just 20% of the ticket price back.

For three-hour delays with c2c, some First Great Western services and Northern Rail you get 50%, and on Merseyrail just 20% of the fare is refunded.

Buying train tickets on board

Almost all the train companies we spoke to said that, unless ticketing facilities weren’t available at a station, only ‘anytime’ fares could be bought on board the train, with no discount for railcards – even at off-peak times.

This can make a huge difference to a train fare. For example, a Virgin London to Birmingham anytime return ticket costs £123, compared with £26 for an off-peak journey using a senior railcard.

But customers on First Hull from London to Hull, Grand Central from London to Sunderland and Wrexham & Shropshire from London to Wrexham can use railcards and buy off-peak train tickets on board. Grand Central also gives a 50% refund if you can’t find a seat on the train.

Other train companies say they sell only full-price peak tickets on board to deter fare evasion, but that doesn’t explain why railcards – which cost £24 a year – can’t be used.

Refunds on unused train tickets

The charge for getting a refund on an unused train ticket also varies. Most train companies charge £10 to cover ‘administration costs’.

Some train companies, including CrossCountry, Northern Rail, Southeastern, Chiltern and Southern, charge £5, but it shouldn't cost £5 to refund a £5 ticket. We’d like to see high fees reduced, or for companies to follow London Midland’s example and waive fees.