Refund conditions change for refundable walk-up tickets
The content of this Staff Brief is for the information of all Retailers (Train Operating Companies and Third-Party Retailers). The contents below fully supersede all previous versions of this Brief.
Introduction
An ORR independent review of train operator revenue protection policies in 2025 confirmed that fare evasion is costing Britain’s railway hundreds of millions of pounds every year, denying train operators legitimate revenue and undermining fare-paying passengers’ sense of fairness in the system.
One common type of fraud is “refund abuse” when customers claim a refund for an unscanned or unendorsed ticket that they have used, falsely reporting that they have not travelled. Industry analysis suggests that it accounts for around £40m of fraud annually.
Refund abuse is associated with refundable walk-up ticket-types (e.g. Anytime, Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak, Day Travelcard and most Rangers and Rovers) that allow refunds up to 28 days after the date of travel, often through self-serve or automated processes. It does not affect Advance tickets or Season Tickets which already have their own refund conditions.
A review of how other countries prevent refund abuse found that most national railways do not offer refunds once a ticket becomes valid for travel, only customers who have had disrupted journeys can claim money back on or after the date of travel. GB train companies are now adopting a similar policy.
From 1 April 2026 the refund conditions in the National Rail Conditions of Travel (NRCoT) will be updated to prevent false refund claims for non-use of tickets. Refundable walk-up tickets will stop being refundable on or after the date they become valid for travel unless a customer has experienced disruption, cancellation or exceptional circumstances that prevented them completing their journey. The updated conditions have been approved by government.
This brief gives you a summary of the updated condition. Your company will provide you with further information as to how it is implementing the detail of the change.
Summary
From 1 April 2026, walk-up tickets will only be refundable up to 23.59 the day before they become valid for travel.
From the date a ticket becomes valid for travel, customers will have no right to a refund if it is not used. Refunds will only be given if a customer has either not travelled or has abandoned their journey and returned to their point of origin because of disruption or cancellation.
Refunds may be considered if a customer has been unable to use their ticket because of an exceptional circumstance. Your company will brief you on its policy for managing this process.
From 1 April 2026, online sales channels will stop offering self-serve refunds for unused tickets which are submitted on or after the date of travel; these requests will now be subject to additional checks before a decision is made.
These conditions are set out in Conditions 29 and 30 of the new National Rail Conditions of Travel (version 7) which will come into force on 1 April 2026. The new edition of the NRCoT will be shared with you in a brief one month ahead of publication as usual.
Awareness in March 2026
In March 2026, the industry will run a national campaign – using posters, announcements, online information and direct customer contact – to raise awareness that the refund rules will be changing.
Selling walk-up tickets from 1 April 2026
Starting from 1 April 2026, all retailing channels will notify customers that new refund conditions apply to walk-up tickets. From this date, rail staff who support retailing should advise any customer buying a walkup ticket,
for same day travel,
• their ticket cannot be refunded unless service disruption or cancellation stops them completing their journey (these refunds will continue to be processed as they are now)
• refund applications made for any other reason (such as “exceptional circumstances” – see below) will be considered on a case-by-case basis, your company will advise on the process for this
ahead of the day of travel,
• their ticket can be refunded up to 23.59 the day before it becomes valid, after which the same day travel process (above) applies
Exceptional circumstances
• Refund requests from customers who experience significant personal events that stop them from travelling on the day (known as “exceptional circumstances”) will be considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with your company’s policy
• Refunds will no longer be available to customers who simply decide to change their plans on (or from) the day their ticket is valid for travel
Refund processing
The table below shows how date of purchase affects the refund rules that apply to a walk-up ticket.
Walk-up tickets bought up to and including 31 March 2026: Customers who make refund requests for non-use of tickets bought up to and including the 31 March 2026 will be treated under the current NRCoT v.6 refund rules (Condition 29). They do not have to provide evidence of an exceptional circumstance to claim a refund for non-use providing that they apply for the refund no later than 28 days after the expiry of the ticket.
Walk-up tickets bought on or after 1 April 2026: Customers who make refund requests for non-use of tickets bought on or after the 1 April 2026 will be treated under NRCoT v.7 refund rules (Condition 29).
