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First identify which rules cover your journey
The European Union rules described here generally apply to rail journeys within the EU, although some services can be exempt. Great Britain guidance covers England, Scotland and Wales; Northern Ireland has separate devolved regulation. A cross-border trip, a particular service or a specific ticket may therefore require checking more than one set of terms.
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Before deciding what to claim, establish the operator, route, ticket type, scheduled and expected arrival time at your final destination, and the applicable passenger charter. The 60-minute threshold is important in both sets of guidance below, but it does not make every remedy identical.
Choose between a refund and continuing the journey
When a cancellation or expected delay is likely to make you reach your final destination at least 60 minutes late, EU and Great Britain guidance describe choices that can include getting your money back or continuing by rerouting. The right option depends on whether the journey can still serve its purpose and whether you want to travel now or later.
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| Option | What it can mean | Key consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Refund | In the EU, a refund may cover the unused part of the journey; returning to the starting point may also be available if disruption defeats the trip’s purpose. Great Britain guidance describes a fare refund where the journey no longer serves its original purpose. | Taking a refund is different from continuing the trip. Under the EU guidance, passengers who choose a refund are excluded from the delay compensation described there. |
| Reroute at the earliest opportunity | In the EU, qualifying passengers can choose rerouting to their destination without additional cost. Great Britain guidance also describes continuation or rerouting under comparable conditions at the earliest opportunity. | Ask the operator what route or service it will provide, and keep its response. |
| Travel later | EU guidance describes rerouting at a later date of the passenger’s choosing without additional cost. Great Britain guidance describes continuation or rerouting at a later convenient date. | This may suit a passenger whose original travel purpose can wait; check the operator’s process for changing the journey. |
A refund and compensation are not interchangeable. Under the EU guidance, a passenger who continues the journey or accepts alternative transport may still qualify for compensation if the final arrival is at least 60 minutes late. A passenger who opts for a refund does not qualify for the compensation described in that guidance.
How much delay compensation may be due?
The European Commission’s guidance and the UK Department for Transport’s Great Britain guidance describe minimum compensation bands. The figures are based on delay at arrival, not simply the length of time a train was held en route.
| Final-arrival delay | EU minimum under cited guidance | Great Britain minimum described by DfT |
|---|---|---|
| 60–119 minutes | 25% of the ticket price | 25% of the ticket price |
| 120 minutes or more | 50% of the ticket price | 50% of the ticket price |
| Payment timing | Within one month of the compensation request | Within one month |
These are minimum bands in the cited guidance, not a guarantee that every operator or service uses an identical scheme. In Great Britain, Delay Repay operates for most operators covered by the relevant national rail contracts or service agreements. The Office of Rail and Road says compensation may be due after a qualifying delay whether or not the train company caused it; check the regulator’s scope notes and the operator’s current scheme for your service.
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EU guidance lists circumstances that can exclude compensation. They include being told about the delay before buying the ticket, a delay below the relevant threshold after rerouting, choosing a refund, and qualifying extraordinary circumstances. Examples given include extreme weather, major natural disasters, pandemics, people on the tracks, cable theft, law-enforcement activity, sabotage and terrorism. Staff strikes are not treated as extraordinary circumstances in that guidance.
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An exclusion from compensation does not necessarily remove other rights. The EU guidance says refund or rerouting choices and assistance can still apply in extraordinary circumstances. Check the reason for the disruption and the remedy you are seeking rather than assuming that one exception cancels every passenger right.
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For EU journeys with a departure or arrival delay of at least 60 minutes, assistance can include meals and refreshments proportionate to the waiting time. If an overnight stay becomes necessary, accommodation and transport between the station and accommodation may be due where it is physically possible. Great Britain guidance likewise describes refreshments for delays over 60 minutes and accommodation with station transfers when an overnight stay is necessary and physically possible.
EU guidance also sets conditions for making alternative travel arrangements. If the railway company has not told you about available rerouting options within 100 minutes of the scheduled departure, you may arrange travel using other public transport services without prior agreement; the company must reimburse necessary, appropriate and reasonable costs. Reimbursement is also described where the company permits comparable alternative arrangements on request. Keep receipts and records, and check the operator’s instructions before committing to substantial costs.
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How to claim and what records to keep
- Check the operator’s rules. Find the current refund or compensation process and passenger charter for the service, and confirm the claim deadline. In the EU, submission deadlines depend on the applicable country.
- Make the claim to the railway company. EU passengers can use an operator’s form or the EU-wide form, electronically or on paper. In Great Britain, use the operator’s Delay Repay process where applicable or the route specified in its passenger charter.
- Keep evidence. Save the ticket or booking confirmation, cancellation notice and operator messages. Note the scheduled and actual arrival times, and retain receipts for reasonable alternative expenses and copies of claim correspondence.
- Escalate if unresolved. In Great Britain, the Rail Ombudsman is identified by the Office of Rail and Road as a free, impartial and independent service for complaints about train and station operators. It is an escalation route for unresolved complaints, not the original channel for an operator compensation claim. For an unresolved EU dispute, the European Commission’s guidance says formal legal action may be considered, including the European Small Claims procedure; national limitation periods apply to court claims.
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