Can you get a refund for a train ticket if the service is late or cancelled?

Question

If some one does not have a ticket they get a fine, no questions asked. We have to put up with continual delays and cancellations. I was late for a job interview and looked like a real pratt because of a signal failure and got there late. There must be a way of getting refunds for this sort of thing, we pay good money to use a poor service. Even so called third world countries have better service, here as soon as you owe money they are onto you, ask for a service and you get minimall

Answer 1

Yes you can if they have cancelled a train and it delays your journey by more than half an hour. I was coming back from Grimsby to Notts one afternoon only to get as far as Sheffield and find out that they'd cancelled the train i needed to make my connection in Chesterfield with a bus that was laid on because they'd cancelled the trains past that point. After waiting an hour in Sheffield, i had another 45 minutes wait at Chesterfield, which was deserted by that time of night, for the next bus. I finally got home at 10 past midnight, had had to arrange childcare at the drop of a hat and the journey had taken 6 hours.

I wrote central trains and midland mainline a snotty letter and got an apology and the return half of my fare reimbursed.

All i can say is if you're annoyed, make some noise!

Answer 2

Hi

Once I lost my flight due to three cancelled trains to Manchester Airport. I was really pissed off! Then I've complained to the three private companies one by one by writing to them. They replied politely and apologetically and sent vouchers with an amount equivalent to one way journey to Manchester Airport (it was not enough but it was what they could do). So you should complain and state your reasons clearly and they should send you vouchers with the amount of the cost of you train ticket.

Answer 3

yes I think you can, but it would depend on how late the train was, the later it is the more you get. Maybe contact your local station for more info or look on the website.

Answer 4

It depends on why the train was cancelled or how late the train was - so apply for the refund and see what you get.

As for third world countries having better service - they don't.  They just don't have signals to fail and quite often you sit OUTSIDE the train.

I'm not defending the train operators, but if a signal fails you need to fix it, you can't just have trains running around out of control - people would die

Answer 5

You could go to the ticket office & ask for a refund form, fill it out and send it to the Train Operation Companies HQ and at the same time write a letter to the HQ complaining.

Mind you have to remember that a signal failure cannot be predicted just like you do not know when your TV will break down, and as for what you say about our railway system at the time of writint this the trains are running at 92% on time and that cannot be bad! (it means that 8 trains in every 100 is cancelled!)

Answer 6

yes but you need to have your ticket checked, and when trains run late, they usually tend not to come and check

Answer 7

Yeah you definately can, my friends and I have done it on occasions. You can with buses too.

Generally, if you've got a good reason for why you had to be on time obviously (and you do), then they're easier going with it.

Ring the train company you booked your ticket with.

Good luck.

Answer 8

It would be nice wouldnt it!

Answer 9

I had an appointment in London and the train wasd 20 minutes late meaning that I had to cancel the appointment. At first I got £5 vouchers in the post after complaining. (fare was £24 return) I appealed to the ombudsman who found in my favour and got a full refund. The rule that applied to me is that if a train is so delayed that it negates the reason for travelling then they have to give a full refund. i.e. the only reason I bought the ticket was to attend an appointment, because the train was late the appointment had to be cancelled so I was due a refund. they sent me a cheque in the post and I kept the £5 vouchers! that was Chiltern Rail from Princes Risborough to Marylebone btw.

Answer 10

On the London Underground, if you are delayed by fifteen minutes or more in any single journey you can claim a refund to the value of the fare for that particular journey by means of a Customer Charter form, available from most ticket offices.

Surprisingly few people seem aware of this, or maybe they just can't be bothered with the hassle.

Answer 11

Yes you can - but even at the station, the BR people see what they can get away with - some passengers who scream and demand a result usually get one, but polite Mr & Mrs Smith will be pushed from one uniform to the next.

Answer 12

I definitely know you can't if you buy value tickets... but othwise check with the company

Answer 13

if your train is delayed for more than 40 Min's, you can claim a delay reimbursement...

the things the train companies have to contend with:, vandalism, network rail track delays, signalmen delaying trains, people who think they can turn up as the train is about to go, they hold the doors open, causing 1-2 mins delay.. this happens at 5 stations in a row (and it does) and the train is then 10 Min's late....   so  please think before you moan about train delays, when 95% of the time the delay is out of the train companies hands.

Answer 14

we got a refund for our journey to Scotland

cos when were delayed by an hour

i agree about the minimal service in this country

Answer 15

Just get on to the company in question and vent your feelings on them, they may be so desperate to hold onto the customers they have that they will offer you some kind of recompense,if you don't try you want get, good luck. A little tip, when traveling anywhere always allow plenty of time for the unexpected, better to arrive too early and have lots of time to kill than too late, don't you think?

Answer 16

You should be able to.  One Railway offer a part refund if it was later than half hour or a bit more if later than one hour.  Have a look at your train company's website.

Answer 17

yes...not sure about late trains

Answer 18

My wife and I  were once heavily delayed on a trip from North East England to London - something like 3 or 4 hours. (I can't remember the reason). When we finally arrived at King's Cross representatives of GNER were at the barrier handing out vouchers for a free ticket each. We had a day in Glasgow on them. But don't blame the poor train operators for a signal failure - that's down to Network Rail who run such things. All part of the looney privatisation which were landed with.

However, each train operating company is require to produce a passenger charter dealing with what it will do in the case of delays. GNERs can be found here:- http://www.gner.co.uk/GNER/AboutGNER/Pas...

You don't say which company is causing you grief, but just google its name followed by 'passenger charter' and that should get you the right page.

Answer 19

Yes providing you're not getting a refund 3 months later etc. In most cases you can. It will probably be harder if the train is late to claim compensation but when a service is cancelled you can expect a refund. By consumer Law if you bought something and are not happy with it you have the right to have a refund (Providing there isn't a big sign saying NO REFUNDS GIVEN) Once you have bought the train ticket it is a contract between you and the train company, the receipt is the proof of this binded contract. Besides its in the interests of the rail companies to keep us happy so most of them will be more than happy to refund your ticket!

Please though don't blame the rail companies for most of these delays because over 95% of them are out of control of the rail companies hands due to line maintenance, signals breaking down, people holding doors open and people not buying tickets! These all occur on a regular basis!