Stratford Fire 10/08 - They Won’t Refund Me!

[catloaf]

I travelled from Colchester (Essex) to Wembley on 10/08

When returning home the last leg of my journey was cancelled due to the fire at Stratford station.

All trains into Essex were cancelled (apart from the one to Stansted Airport) so I could not get home via train at all!! Everyone heading back to Colchester had to catch a bus from the airport, and we got home at 5.30am

I submitted a delay repay claim with Greater Anglia. They told me as the disruption was due to an overground train controlled by TFL I had to contact them.

TFL just denied my delay repay claim saying I quote:

“I have checked the details of your claim, and the delay was caused by a fire alert. As this is outside our control, it does not qualify for a service delay refund. I recognise that all delays are frustrating, so I am sorry I can not offer you a refund this time.”

What is my legal standing here? Am I legally entitled to a refund from either Greater Anglia or TFL? My journey was cancelled. I thought that entitled me to a refund?

What do I do next? Please help!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jul 2026 ==

I travelled from Colchester (Essex) to Wembley on 10/08

When returning home the last leg of my journey was cancelled due to the fire at Stratford station.

All trains into Essex were cancelled (apart from the one to Stansted Airport) so I could not get home via train at all!! Everyone heading back to Colchester had to catch a bus from the airport, and we got home at 5.30am

I submitted a delay repay claim with Greater Anglia. They told me as the disruption was due to an overground train controlled by TFL I had to contact them.

TFL just denied my delay repay claim saying I quote:

“I have checked the details of your claim, and the delay was caused by a fire alert. As this is outside our control, it does not qualify for a service delay refund. I recognise that all delays are frustrating, so I am sorry I can not offer you a refund this time.”

What is my legal standing here? Am I legally entitled to a refund from either Greater Anglia or TFL? My journey was cancelled. I thought that entitled me to a refund?

What do I do next? Please help!

Sorry I meant to put the date as 10/07!

 

[gray1404]

It sounds like you have submitted a delay repay claim rather than request for a refund. But then I am confused because the response you have received from TFL speaks about a refund being declined.

Anyway from what you were saying you were unable to use the return portion of the ticket you had already purchased? Could you confirm what sort of ticket you were using.

You need to submit a refund request (not delay repay claim, that is for when you actually travelled by train but we're delayed, not when you abandoned your journey). This needs to be submitted to the retailer you purchase the ticket from rather than the train company who's services were disrupted.

If you were using a return ticket then you are entitled to a 50% refund without any admin for your applied if you abandoned your journey due to service disruption.

 

[Haywain]

I travelled from Colchester (Essex) to Wembley on 10/08

Can you give us your original itinerary for the journey, and exactly where you were first delayed? This was presumably the journey back from Wembley to Colchester?

Everyone heading back to Colchester had to catch a bus from the airport, and we got home at 5.30am

So you did actually travel?

 

[Benjwri]

the response you have received from TFL speaks about a refund being declined.

TfL call their delay repay a service delay refund.

You need to submit a refund request (not delay repay claim, that is for when you actually travelled by train but we're delayed, not when you abandoned your journey). This needs to be submitted to the retailer you purchase the ticket from rather than the train company whose services were disrupted.

I dont think we can say this without knowing the full situation.

In addition to what others have asked what exact tickets did you hold? And did you travel to Stansted on those tickets and then did you pay for the bus separately or did they railway pay for it?

 

[LCC106]

Do you mean 10th of August or 8th or 10th of July? That might have a bearing on it.

 

[capital12]

It sounds like you have submitted a delay repay claim rather than request for a refund. But then I am confused because the response you have received from TFL speaks about a refund being declined.

Anyway from what you were saying you were unable to use the return portion of the ticket you had already purchased? Could you confirm what sort of ticket you were using.

You need to submit a refund request (not delay repay claim, that is for when you actually travelled by train but we're delayed, not when you abandoned your journey). This needs to be submitted to the retailer you purchase the ticket from rather than the train company who's services were disrupted.

If you were using a return ticket then you are entitled to a 50% refund without any admin for your applied if you abandoned your journey due to service disruption.

If they didn’t get back until 0530 I’d assume that was more than two hours late, so I’d be claiming delay repay for the full amount of the return ticket - not just 50%

 

[Western Sunset]

Do you mean 10th of August or 8th or 10th of July? That might have a bearing on it.

Or 8th October?

 

[AlterEgo]

Or 8th October?

The Stratford fire was on 10th July, 10/07.

 

[yorksrob]

Is this a TfL thing as on the proper railway it shouldn't make any difference as to whether the delay was "out of their control".

 

[Tetchytyke]

Is this a TfL thing as on the proper railway it shouldn't make any difference as to whether the delay was "out of their control".

Yes. TfL will not give a 'service delay refund' if the cause of the delay was outside of their control. https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/refunds/apply-for-a-service-delay-refund

You can apply for a service delay refund if your journey was delayed by:

• More than 15 minutes on London Underground and DLR services
• Or more than 30 minutes on London Overground and Elizabeth line services

We do not give service delay refunds:

• For delays on a bus or tram
• For delays outside our control, including strikes, security alerts, bad weather, engineering works or customer incidents, for example, a person falling ill on a train
• When you travel for free using Freedom Pass, 60+ Oyster photocard, or Veterans Oyster photocard
• When children under 11 years old travel for free accompanied by an adult

You must claim within 28 days of the delay.

If your Greater Anglia service was delayed or cancelled due to the fire alarm then Greater Anglia should be paying up under Delay Repay.

But if their trains were running normally and it was just TfL services which were delayed then you're out of luck.

 

[Benjwri]

But if their trains were running normally and it was just TfL services which were delayed then you're out of luck.

Worth noting this isn't necessarily true, if the OP was travelling on the Overground they are still party to the NRCOT, which sets the minimum delay compensation at 50% for an hour or more's delay, regardless of fault. TfL are still obliged to pay this.

 

[rmHawk765]

Worth noting this isn't necessarily true, if the OP was travelling on the Overground they are still party to the NRCOT, which sets the minimum delay compensation at 50% for an hour or more's delay, regardless of fault. TfL are still obliged to pay this.

I seem to recall LO is somehow exempt from the NRCoT? I also remember this is one of the reasons why XR is its own separate operator.

 

[yorksrob]

Yes. TfL will not give a 'service delay refund' if the cause of the delay was outside of their control.

They need to be brought to heel in that case, given that they're running national railway services.

 

[Benjwri]

I seem to recall LO is somehow exempt from the NRCoT? I also remember this is one of the reasons why XR is its own separate operator.

They are not, they are the first TOC listed in the NRCOT under the services it applies to.

They need to be brought to heel in that case, given that they're running national railway services.

Delay repay is up to the operator. It is poor that it is difficult to get to stick to the legal minimums in the NRCOT, but beyond that it is entirely up to them what they offer. TfL is short of funds and I'm sure they'd be happy to align with the DfT TOCs if the DfT is willing to pay the cost of that.

 

[James H]

The OP's explanation is hard to follow but it seems the problem arose on the Wembley to Colchester journey (not the other way round as it might seem on first reading)

Please could the OP explain in more detail the journey they made? And which train was the first to be delayed or cancelled?

 

[Bikeman78]

I travelled from Colchester (Essex) to Wembley on 10/08

When returning home the last leg of my journey was cancelled due to the fire at Stratford station.

All trains into Essex were cancelled (apart from the one to Stansted Airport) so I could not get home via train at all!! Everyone heading back to Colchester had to catch a bus from the airport, and we got home at 5.30am

I submitted a delay repay claim with Greater Anglia. They told me as the disruption was due to an overground train controlled by TFL I had to contact them.

TFL just denied my delay repay claim saying I quote:

“I have checked the details of your claim, and the delay was caused by a fire alert. As this is outside our control, it does not qualify for a service delay refund. I recognise that all delays are frustrating, so I am sorry I can not offer you a refund this time.”

What is my legal standing here? Am I legally entitled to a refund from either Greater Anglia or TFL? My journey was cancelled. I thought that entitled me to a refund?

What do I do next? Please help!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 20 Jul 2026 ==


Sorry I meant to put the date as 10/07!

Trains from London to Colchester are run by Greater Anglia and were clearly disrupted. So why are they referring you to TfL? I guess your intended route was the Metropolitan line from Wembley to Liverpool Street for a train to Colchester?

 

[AlterEgo]

Trains from London to Colchester are run by Greater Anglia and were clearly disrupted. So why are they referring you to TfL? I guess your intended route was the Metropolitan line from Wembley to Liverpool Street for a train to Colchester?

We need the OP to clearly set out what has happened including all trains taken, one assumes they are referring them to TfL because TfL caused the initial delay.

 

[Hadders]

I seem to recall LO is somehow exempt from the NRCoT? I also remember this is one of the reasons why XR is its own separate operator.

Both London Overground and Elizabeth Line are covered by the NRCoT.

National Rail Conditions of Travel | National Rail

The gateway to Britain's National Rail network. A portal into UK rail travel including train company information and promotions; train times; fares enquiries; ticket purchase and train running information

www.nationalrail.co.uk

List of Train Companies to which the National Rail Conditions of Travel apply as of 1st April 2026​

• Arriva Rail London Limited (trading as “London Overground
• GTS Rail Operations Limited (trading as "Elizabeth line")

Arriva Rail London is now First Rail London following a franchise change but that doesn't change the overall position.

 

[gray1404]

I notice the OP has not returned to provide further information since they posted.