Record numbers of train journeys have been delayed or cancelled due to floods and strong winds. The problems are getting worse, with more rail failures and more lines affected every day.
Network Rail, which runs and maintains Britain’s rail tracks, has agreed a new five year plan to get the trains running on time. But, in the meantime, if you can’t travel it is important that you claim compensation from the rail company who should have got you where you needed to get to.
As you might expect each one has a different system. Any other approach would make it far too easy for travelers.
While the National Rail rule is that passengers should received 20% of the journey cost for an hour delay, most companies refund 50% of the ticket price for delays of 30 minutes or more. Most have online forms that you can use to make a claim and you can also get delay/repay forms from ticket offices.
If you have an annual season ticket do not expect to get the full fare. Companies use different calculations as to how many journeys they expect you to make in a year that do not take account of annual holidays or bank holidays. You can read our blog about this here
If your claim is straightforward – a delay or a journey cancelled – then claim using the official forms from the rail company. But many affected by the weather will have extra costs incurred because of a cancelled or delayed journey.
If that’s the case then detail these costs with documentary evidence showing what the missing train cost you, such as unused theatre tickets and flight details.
Our letter template which you can fill in and adapt to your own circumstances should help you do this. A well worded letter can add weight to your argument and the scope of your claim. Use the downloadable template below.
010 Letter to train company about loss of service as a template you can fill in
Find more useful letters and email templates in our Resources section