Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the system for compensation for passengers who have bought a ticket for their journey but whose trains have not turned up, and who have therefore (1) suffered delays by having to catch the next train, or (2) had to take a taxi to complete their journeys.

Passengers who are delayed due to the cancellation of a scheduled train service but who have to travel on a subsequent train or take a taxi to complete their journey should be entitled to compensation in accordance with the Train Operating Company’s (TOC’s) published Passenger’s Charter. The passenger’s arrival time at their destination should determine their entitlement to Delay Repay compensation.

The majority of TOCs operate the Delay Repay compensation system which provides compensation to the value of 50% of the ticket price for delays or cancellations when the passenger is delayed in reaching their destination by 30-59 minutes. Delay Repay 15 (DR15) additionally entitles passengers who have been delayed by 15-29 minutes to compensation worth 25% of the ticket price. The next TOC to introduce this will be Northern expected by the end of December.

The rail industry has also recently launched the new Rail Ombudsman service, which will give passengers a stronger voice and help ensure they get a fair deal when disputes with train operators cannot otherwise be resolved.