Can I get a refund if my train is cancelled due to the rail strikes?
Wednesday and Saturday’s national rail strikes - followed by more proposed for mid-August - will result in many cancelled and delayed journeys across the UK.
Though much of London’s TfL network will operate as normal, large swathes of the UK will face heavy disruption, including no trains leaving Blackpool, Bournemouth or Portsmouth stations.
On Wednesday 27 July, some 40,000 members of the RMT trade union will walk out for 24 hours.
Network Rail has published a special timetable for Wednesday, with first trains departing at 7am and last trains at around 6.30pm. It estimates that only a fifth of usual train services will run nationwide.
Meanwhile on Saturday 30 July, train drivers across eight rail companies will walk out for 24 hours as part of an Aslef union strike.
So what rights do you have if your pre-booked train is cancelled?
Here’s everything you need to know.
My train has been cancelled due to the strike. Can I get a refund?
Yes. If your scheduled train service is cancelled by the operator, you are entitled to either:
a full refund, OR
a free change of journey time
It doesn’t matter what type of ticket you purchased.
Even if your train isn’t cancelled, you may decide not to travel on a strike day due to the risk of disruption. If this is the case, Network Rail has confirmed you will also be able to claim a refund or change your journey time free of charge. “If you have purchased an Advance, Off-Peak or Anytime ticket and choose not to travel, you will be eligible for a change or refund from the original retailer of your ticket,” it explains on its website.
If changing the date and time of your journey works better for you, it’s worth noting that most companies have increased flexibility around the summer strikes. GWR tells customers they can change the date and time of their train ticket (whatever type it is; Advance, Off-Peak and so on) for free up to 6pm the night before the journey.
Meanwhile, Avanti says: “We are allowing customers to exchange Advance tickets for a Rail Travel Voucher [to] amend them fee-free until 30 September 2022”. This means that, subject to availability, you’ll be able to use the voucher on a different day up until 30 September. You need to have booked through the rail operator’s own platform in order to arrange this with them.
In general, you should also be able to use your train ticket on a different service over the couple of days following the strike, with no charge attached. For this week’s strikes, Network Rail advises: “If you have a ticket for travel on 27 or 30 July you can use this ticket either on the day before the date on the ticket or [up to] and including Tuesday 2 August (excluding Season Tickets).
“Please note if your ticket is for a journey that includes crossing London it will not be valid on London Underground services on an alternative date. Please contact the original retailer of your ticket for more information.â”
Almost all train operators provide compensation regardless of the cause of a cancellation – which is in contrast to airlines, who do not need to pay out if the delay is beyond their control.
What if the strikes cause a delay rather than a cancellation?
If your UK train is delayed due to the strikes, you are legally entitled to “Delay Repay” compensation. This depends on how many minutes you were delayed due to the train disruption.
If you were delayed 15-29 minutes, you can claim 25 per cent of the price of a single ticket and 12.5 per cent on a return ticket.
If you were delayed 30-59 minutes, you can claim 50 per cent on a single ticket, or 25 per cent on a return ticket.
If you were delayed 60-119 minutes, you can claim 100 per cent on a single ticket and 50 per cent on a return ticket.
If you were delayed 120 minutes or more, you can claim a full refund on both single and return tickets.
What if I have a Season Ticket?
Season Ticket holders (monthly or longer tickets) who choose not to travel on 27 or 30 July can claim 100 per cent compensation for these days through the “Delay Repay” system. You should go to the refunds area on the website of the operator or retailer you bought the ticket from.
You can also apply for an overall refund for a whole Season Ticket based on strike disruption, going through the retailer who sold you the ticket. Network Rail explains: “Refunds are calculated from the date you return your season ticket and will be the difference between the price you paid and the cost of a ticket or tickets for the period for which you have used the ticket up to and including the date you request a refund.” A £10 admin fee applies.
How do I claim a refund or Delay Repay compensation?
Your refund should come from the original retailer of your ticket - be that an individual rail operator or a third-party website. For most operators, a refund page will appear under their “Help” tab.
Third party booking site Thetrainline.com advises: “As soon as we’re told by the train operators that your train is cancelled or rescheduled, we’ll be in contact to offer you an online refund. Please hold tight in the meantime.”
You should try to claim within 28 days, but some train companies allow longer.
To claim, you’ll need to provide your contact details, a copy of your ticket or proof of purchase, as well as details of your journey (origin and destination stations, scheduled departure time, and the time you arrived).
