Updated: 12 September 2026
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Delay Repay Explained: How to Claim Compensation for Delayed UK Train Journeys
Delay Repay is a national scheme designed to compensate train travellers who have experienced a delayed arrival at their destination. Many rail passengers know they can claim compensation, but not everyone understands how the system actually works.
Depending on the length of the delay, passengers are entitled to claim up to 100% of their ticket price – although frustratingly the rules do vary between train operators.
Cancellation or Delay?
First of all, it is important to distinguish between a cancellation and a delay. If your train is cancelled and you no longer wish to travel, you should claim a 100% refund from whoever sold you the ticket.
If your train was cancelled and you have taken an alternative train, or your train was just delayed, then read on…
Which company do I claim Delay Repay compensation from?
Claims should be made directly to the railway company who operated the delayed train service. Claims can be made on the operator website although most also offer a paper form process for those less IT literate.
If the journey was on more than one train operator, you should claim from the operator that caused the initial delay.
If there is an accumulated delay (ie 1st train is 13 minutes late, resulting in taking a later 2nd train which is also delayed by 10 minutes – total 30 minute+ delay), claim from the first operator that caused the delay to the journey, even if it was less than 15 minutes.
Across Britain, a total of 9.1m Delay Repay claims were made last year, with over 80% being approved.
The cost is significant (and growing), estimated to be £169m for England & Wales in 2025/26, a 12% increase on the previous year.
Avanti West Coast paid out the most of any train operator, £40.5m in 2024/25
How is Delay Repay Compensation Calculated?
In the event of a delayed arrival (not delayed departure), train operating companies will pay compensation in the form of a full or partial ticket refund.
The rate of compensation is based on a percentage of the actual price paid for a single ticket, with the % amount increasing depending on the length of the delay.
Delay Repay does not cover compensation for other losses caused by a late train.
When does compensation kick in?
Compensation can generally be claimed when the delay is greater than either 15 or 30 minutes but this depends on the train operating company.
Operators offering Delay Repay after a 15 minute delayed train:
Avanti West Coast, c2c, Chiltern Railways, East MIdlands Railway, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Great Western Railway (GWR), Greater Anglia, London Northwestern Railway, Northern Trains, South Western Railway, Southeastern, Southern, Stansted Express, Thameslink, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Railway
Operators offering Delay Repay after a 30 minute delayed train:
Caledonian Sleeper, CrossCountry, Hull Trains, London North Eastern Railway (LNER), Lumo and ScotRail
How much Delay Repay compensation am I entitled to?
The amount of Delay Repay Compensation is based on a percentage of the price paid for a single ticket
- 15-29 Minutes: 25% of the price paid << only for operators offering compensation for a 15 minute delay
- 30-59 Minutes: 50% of the price paid
- Over 60 Minutes: 100% of the price paid
So for example a 40 minute delay on a journey from York to London costing £60 would result in £30 (50% of the £60 ticket price) Delay Repay compensation.
I purchased a flexible ticket, without a reservation, can I still claim for Delay Repay?
You can still claim for compensation but need to state the train you were planning to catch. Claims for flexible tickets rely mainly on the honesty of the claimant.
I bought a return ticket and all the amounts are for single tickets
For the purposes of Delay Repay, to calculate the amount due, most operating companies base the compensation on 50% of the return ticket price. Furthermore, if the delay is more than 2 hours, the entire return ticket is refunded.
I have a season ticket
Season tickets calculated slightly differently for each company but all companies convert the cost of a season ticket into an equivalent single ticket price as a basis for the calculation.
For example a weekly ticket is seen as 10 singles, so a £100 weekly ticket is divided by 10 to give a £10 single ticket price and this is used to calculate the amount due.
What information do I need to provide in order to make a claim?
You need to provide a proof of purchase, this can be:
- Paper Ticket – Image or scan of ticket, or receipt if it show the details of the journey, the type of ticket, price paid and the ticket number
- eTicket – Screenshot of the e-ticket showing the ticket reference number
- Contactless Account – Scan/image of contactless statement (ie Transport for London website) showing start & end points of journey & price paid
- Smartcard – Scan/image of receipt or booking confirmations showing details of the relevant ticket & the cost
You will also need to provide details of your journey such as the origin and destination stations, scheduled departure time, and actual arrival time at the final destination.
Automated Delay Repay
Some train operating companies have a “one-click” Automated Delay Repay scheme whereby any delays on advance tickets booked through their website or app (or smartcard if applicable), or delays on season tickets, are automatically flagged. The traveller has to acknowledge an email to accept the claim and the payment is automatically made.
Execution is mixed. Some operators such as c2c sees automatic compensation kicking in after only 2 minutes and LNER (see picture below) has a very slick process. Some companies require you to open a second, specific delay repay account whilst others such as CrossCountry do not offer an automated service at all.
How do I receive my Delay Repay payment?
Typically paid by bank transfer, refunded to the credit/debit card or, if preferred, in the form of national rail travel vouchers. Some operators also offer payment to a PayPal account or as a donation to charity. If you have a paper ticket, you may find that claims will only be paid out by cheque or voucher.
My Train Company is not Part of Delay Repay
There are five other train operating companies that are not part of Delay Repay but have alternative compensation schemes in place, all based on the ticket price paid.
- Elizabeth Line: 30 minute delay = 100% compensation, no compensation due in the event of strikes
- Eurostar: 60–119 minute delay = 30% e-voucher or 25% cash refund, 120–179 minutes = 60% e-voucher or 50% cash, 180+ minutes = 75% e-voucher or 50% cash
- Grand Central: 1-2 hour delay = 50% compensation, 2-3 hours = 75%, 3+ hours = 100%
- Heathrow Express: 15 minute delay = 50% compensation, 30 minutes = 100%
- London Overground: 30 minute delay = 100% compensation, no compensation due in the event of strikes
- Merseyrail: 30 minute delay = 100% compensation if all travel on Merseyrail Northern or Wirral lines, 20% compensation if the ticket involves travel on other operators but the delay has been caused by Merseyrail
Transport for London does not participate in Delay Repay so if you are connecting through London and a delay on the London Underground causes you to miss your train, forget about claiming anything!
Delay Repay & Other Train Operator Compensation Schemes
| Compensation due as a % of single ticket price | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train Operating Company | Minimum delay (mins) | 15-29 mins | 30-59 mins | 60+ mins |
| Avanti West Coast | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| c2c | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Caledonian Sleeper | 30 | nill | 50% | 100% |
| Chiltern Railways | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| CrossCountry | 30 | nill | 50% | 100% |
| East MIdlands Railway | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Elizabeth Line * | 30 | nill | 100% | 100% |
| Gatwick Express | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Grand Central * | 60 | nill | nill | 50% |
| Great Northern | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Great Western Railway (GWR) | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Greater Anglia | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Heathrow Express * | 15 | 50% | 100% | 100% |
| Hull Trains | 30 | nill | 50% | 100% |
| London North Eastern Railway (LNER) | 30 | nill | 50% | 100% |
| London Northwestern Railway | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| London Overground * | 30 | nill | 100% | 100% |
| Lumo | 30 | nill | 50% | 100% |
| Merseyrail * | 30 | nill | 100% | 100% |
| Northern Trains | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| ScotRail | 30 | nill | 50% | 100% |
| South Western Railway | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Southeastern | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Southern | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Stansted Express | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Thameslink | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| TransPennine Express | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| Transport for Wales | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
| West Midlands Railway | 15 | 25% | 50% | 100% |
* not part of Delay Repay but has an alternative scheme in place
Other points
- Claims usually have to be made within 28 days of the date of the delay
- If travelling as part of a group, you can usually make one single claim on behalf of everyone
- If your journey is affected due to planned engineering works that were advertised before you travelled, compensation is generally not payable. However, if additional unplanned delays occur beyond the revised timetable, you may still be entitled to claim
- Compensation is not paid if the delayed arrival is due to a replacement bus service that was announced in advance of travel
Top Tips for Delay Repay
- Keep your ticket or e-ticket until your journey is complete. You’ll usually need it as proof when making a claim
- If you have a paper ticket, use your phone to take a photo of it before you leave the station platform in case the ticket is retained at the exit barrier
- On arrival at your destination, take a photo of the arrivals board showing the delayed arrival time of your train. Alternatively, use realtimetrains.co.uk which shows detailed information on actual train times
- Do not assume the train company will contact you. Many operators still require you to submit a claim yourself.
- If you regularly travel with one operator, sign up for their Automatic Delay Repay scheme if available
Our Take
Delay Repay is one of the least understood passenger rights in UK travel, yet millions of £s are paid out every year to those who actually bother to make a claim.
While the different rules between train operators can be frustrating, the process itself is usually quick and straightforward. Even a delay of just 15 minutes could entitle you to compensation worth 25% of your ticket price, and longer delays can result in a full refund.
If you travel regularly by train, it is well worth taking a couple of minutes to submit a claim whenever you’re delayed. Over the course of a year, those refunds can quickly add up.