Disruption and cancellations

What happens if my train is late?

We get it – train delays are frustrating! If you have a flexible ticket (e.g. Off-Peak or Anytime) then you can take any other train that day, subject to time or route restrictions shown on your ticket (such as “not via London”).

If the delay causes you to arrive 15+ minutes late at your destination, in most cases you can claim compensation from the train operator under their Delay Repay scheme. Some train companies have a threshold of 30 or 60 minutes before you can claim compensation, and a few operators don’t offer Delay Repay but instead have separate compensation arrangements. Have a look at this page for more information.

If there’s significant disruption, tickets may be accepted on other operators or routes, or on alternative modes of transport (e.g. buses, trams or the Underground). There may also be replacement buses in place. Speak to station staff or check your operator’s website for more information.

Of course, if you decide you’d rather not travel, you can abandon your journey and claim a full refund from us. This applies even if your ticket would normally be non-refundable, e.g. if it’s an Advance ticket, and it applies to your return ticket too (if this happens on your outward journey). If you are part-way through your journey, you can also still claim a refund if you decide to return to your starting station.

What happens if my train is cancelled?

Don’t worry! The train operator will still get you to your destination.

You can automatically take any alternative train operated by the same company up to 2 hours before or after your cancelled train (or the previous/next 2 trains, if they’re more than 2 hours earlier/later).

If you have a flexible ticket (e.g. Off-Peak or Anytime) then you can take any other train that day, subject to time or route restrictions shown on your ticket (such as “not via London”).

If there’s significant disruption, tickets may be accepted on other operators or routes, or on alternative modes of transport (e.g. buses, trams or the Underground). There may also be replacement buses in place. Speak to station staff or check your operator’s website for more information.

If the cancellation happens on the day you travel, and causes you to arrive 15+ minutes late at your destination, then in most cases you can claim compensation from the train operator under their Delay Repay scheme. Some train companies have a threshold of 30 or 60 minutes before you can claim compensation, and a few operators don’t offer Delay Repay but instead have separate compensation arrangements. Have a look at this page for more information.

Of course, if you decide you’d rather not travel, you can abandon your journey and claim a full refund from us. This applies even if your ticket would normally be non-refundable, e.g. if it’s an Advance ticket, and it applies to your return ticket too (if this happens on your outward journey). If you are part-way through your journey, you can also still claim a refund if you decide to return to your starting station.

What happens if I miss my connection?

Don’t worry! The train operator will still get you to your destination.

If you’re travelling on an Advance ticket, you can take the next train operated by the company you were originally due to travel with.

If you have a flexible ticket (e.g. Off-Peak or Anytime) then you can take any other train that day to complete your journey, subject to time or route restrictions shown on your ticket (such as “not via London”).

If there’s significant disruption, tickets may be accepted on other operators or routes, or on alternative modes of transport (e.g. buses, trams or the Underground). There may also be replacement buses in place. Speak to station staff or check your operator’s website for more information.

If you arrive 15+ minutes late at your destination, then in most cases you can claim compensation from the train operator that caused you to miss the connection, under their Delay Repay scheme. Some train companies have a threshold of 30 or 60 minutes before you can claim compensation, and a few operators don’t offer Delay Repay but instead have separate compensation arrangements. Have a look at this page for more information.

Of course, if you decide you’d rather not complete your journey, you can return to your starting station and claim a full refund from us. This applies even if your ticket would normally be non-refundable, e.g. if it’s an Advance ticket, and it applies to your return ticket too (if this happens on your outward journey).

What happens if I miss my connection onto the last train of the day, or it’s cancelled?

Don’t worry! The train operator is still responsible for getting you to your destination.

We’d advise speaking to station staff or getting in touch with the relevant train company, for example through social media or using a station help point.

If there’s an alternative route or operator you can still use to get to your destination, you should be given permission to use this at no extra cost – ticket acceptance may already be in place, so it’s worth checking.

If there are no train alternatives, replacement transport (such as a bus or taxi) should be arranged by the responsible train company, or if you’re still a long way from your destination they may arrange overnight accommodation instead. If there’s significant disruption, they might authorise you to make your own arrangements and to claim back the cost afterwards – remember to keep your receipt.

If the disruption means you arrive 15+ minutes late at your destination, then in most cases you can claim compensation from the train operator whose train was cancelled or caused you to miss the connection, under their Delay Repay scheme. Some train companies have a threshold of 30 or 60 minutes before you can claim compensation, and a few operators don’t offer Delay Repay but instead have separate compensation arrangements. Have a look at this page for more information.

Of course, if you decide you’d rather not travel or to abandon your journey, you can return to your starting station and claim a full refund from us. This applies even if your ticket would normally be non-refundable, e.g. if it’s an Advance ticket, and it applies to your return ticket too (if this happens on your outward journey).