Delay Repay limited to just one leg of a Return?

[ruaival]

Warrington to Poole return travel via London (out Friday, back Sunday) was delayed on 2nd leg each way - SWR were 15-29 mins late outbound and Avanti WC were 15-29 mins late on return travel.

SWR paid the Delay Repay claim for outward journey, but Avanti WC rejected 2nd Delay Repay claim on the grounds of 'claiming more than once for multi-leg journey' not permitted ... and rejected DR Appeal on the grounds that ticket already used for a Delay Repay claim.

Am I wrong to think my trip was delayed by two independent delays?

 

[Crithylum]

This seems very strange. If both were in the same direction with break of journey, I could maybe understand, but as they are different directions they aren't even the same journey.

 

[ruaival]

Avanti response ... with SWR claim details below that ...

Travel Date: Sun, 16 Aug 2026
Departing: 17:29 from LONDON EUSTON to WARRINGTON BANK QUAY
Decision: Unsuccessful

We have checked our records and note that you have already made an identical claim for this journey therefore we are unable to process this duplicate application.

Your original claim (reference SWR-1664-261-418) has been approved and you should receive a separate confirmation shortly.

South Western Railway Delay Repay - Claim SWR-1664-261-418 - Approved

Travel Date: Fri, 14 Aug 2026
Departing: 19:05 from LONDON WATERLOO to POOLE
Decision: Approved

 

[AlterEgo]

Phone them up and ask them to take another look. You are due delay repay for both legs.

 

[speedy1]

What's more likely: you're only allowed to be delayed on one of the journeys on a return ticket

or

TOCs are implementing systems, policies and excuses to deny delay repay, to gaslight people and tire them out during the appeals, as an exercise to reduce pay-outs

Keep fighting

edit: is the confusion that both are origin London? Did you provide your full journey?

 

[ruaival]

What's more likely: you're only allowed to be delayed on one of the journeys on a return ticket

or

TOCs are implementing systems, policies and excuses to deny delay repay, to gaslight people and tire them out during the appeals, as an exercise to reduce pay-outs

Keep fighting

edit: is the confusion that both are origin London? Did you provide your full journey?

*they* sold me the ticket and linked the booking in the claim as Warrington to Poole, no reference to London except in the journey leg details which have different dates and times and destinations.

 

[Kite159]

Request a deadlock letter which sometimes makes someone else look at the issue. Did you enter the correct ticket number on the form as from memory the outward & return tickets have slightly different numbers (XXXX1 & XXXX2 for example)

 

[ruaival]

Request a deadlock letter which sometimes makes someone else look at the issue. Did you enter the correct ticket number on the form as from memory the outward & return tickets have slightly different numbers (XXXX1 & XXXX2 for example)

I entered the ticket collection reference which is identical for Outward and Return journeys.

Just doesn't make sense that the outward journey delay protects them from Delay Repay on the return journey.

 

[AlterEgo]

I entered the ticket collection reference which is identical for Outward and Return journeys.

Just doesn't make sense that the outward journey delay protects them from Delay Repay on the return journey.

It doesn't, and there has been a basic error made.

 

[SaltAndVinegar]

For each claim, did you enter _all_ of the National Rail services you used, using the scheduled times rather than actual (delayed) times? The whole journey itinerary rather than just the details of the delayed service.

If you did it all correctly... and they're refusing appeals... send a quick message to customer services explaining, request it be looked at again, and if they refuse again, ask if this is their final decision & will they provide a deadlock letter

 

[bb21]

Request a deadlock letter which sometimes makes someone else look at the issue. Did you enter the correct ticket number on the form as from memory the outward & return tickets have slightly different numbers (XXXX1 & XXXX2 for example)

Outward and return portions should have the same number. You may be thinking of reservation coupons which had their own numbers.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

What's more likely: you're only allowed to be delayed on one of the journeys on a return ticket

or

TOCs are implementing systems, policies and excuses to deny delay repay, to gaslight people and tire them out during the appeals, as an exercise to reduce pay-outs

Keep fighting

edit: is the confusion that both are origin London? Did you provide your full journey?

Or, as a third possibility, that the railway has made a mess of things?

At least consider the possibility of cock-up before concluding it's conspiracy.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Just doesn't make sense that the outward journey delay protects them from Delay Repay on the return journey.

It doesn't, and there has been a basic error made.

Unless - and this doesn't apply in this case - the DR due on the outward leg is 100% of the ticket value, at which point any delay on the return leg becomes valued at zero if if otherwise legitimate, as the sum paid in DR cannot exceed the ticket value, right?

 

[ruaival]

Unless - and this doesn't apply in this case - the DR due on the outward leg is 100% of the ticket value, at which point any delay on the return leg becomes valued at zero if if otherwise legitimate, as the sum paid in DR cannot exceed the ticket value, right?

That ... is a very valid point, although 2 significant delays perhaps deserve 200% compensation.

I accept the practical compensation limit, perhaps AWC are not sighted on the value of the SWR claim. Time to back down from my claim if that is the case. (Both my delays were 15-29 minutes.)

My learning is not to expect easy Delay Repay on any 'flexible' tickets now this automated delay repay system handles Advance tickets; likely DR will become a 'perk' of booking Advance on fixed train fixed operator.

 

[Dave_D]

I’ve had personal experience of this sort of thing many times.

The railway company initially refuse to pay delay repay on some stupid pretext. As soon as you phone them up they then realise it’s their mistake and reinstate the payment.

The cynic in me believes that they doing this deliberately because some people won’t question it.

 

[ruaival]

Further information - on all trains used for whole weekend, outward and return - now requested. Avanti West Coast are again asserting that the Delay Repay for the trip has bern settled by SWR.

I am wondering if they worry about the risk that SWR paid 100% refund ... but if outbound abd return are seriously delayed my expectation is 200% payout.

 

[SuspectUsual]

if outbound abd return are seriously delayed my expectation is 200% payout

Then you should expect to be disappointed

 

[AlterEgo]

I am wondering if they worry about the risk that SWR paid 100% refund ... but if outbound abd return are seriously delayed my expectation is 200% payout.

You won't get that. And that isn't what happened anyway. Did you phone Avanti at any point as advised or are you still going around the doom loop by email?

 

[ruaival]

Unable to record voice calls, I have been caught out before by promises to Delay Repay on the 'phone that then get rejected in the system. Email preferred by me.

I am now realising that AWC have no way of knowing how much SWR paid me so cannot risk giving me an amount that totals over 100% ticket price.

Delay Repay on Advance tickets is the only thing I will try in future. Case closed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Unable to record voice calls, I have been caught out before by promises to Delay Repay on the 'phone that then get rejected in the system. Email preferred by me.

I am now realising that AWC have no way of knowing how much SWR paid me so cannot risk giving me an amount that totals over 100% ticket price.

You can of course provide them evidence of that in the form of the confirmation email from SWR.

Delay Repay on Advance tickets is the only thing I will try in future. Case closed.

Well, if you prefer the railway to keep your money

If you are sure you are entitled to it you could of course try the Ombudsman and if that fails a letter before action and in the end the Small Claims Court if needs be.

 

[ruaival]

You can of course provide them evidence of that in the form of the confirmation email from SWR.



Well, if you prefer the railway to keep your money

If you are sure you are entitled to it you could of course try the Ombudsman and if that fails a letter before action and in the end the Small Claims Court if needs be.

Unfortunately the SWR email contains no figures of the amount paid; I have already shared that email with AWC.

Unable to get deadlock letter from AWC so Ombudsnan not able to help.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Unfortunately the SWR email contains no figures of the amount paid; I have already shared that email with AWC.

Your online account or bank statement should also evidence it. But I'm almost certain the FirstGroup system does.

Indeed thinking on SWR and Avanti go through the same system so they probably can see the other claim...

Unable to get deadlock letter from AWC so Ombudsnan not able to help.

I don't see why they'd refuse it, but I understand that if they do after a period of time you can go to them anyway. You can consider the final refusal as one. It doesn't have to have "DEADLOCK LETTER" in bold at the top, it merely needs to be a statement of their final position and that this will not change.

 

[MrJeeves]

I am now realising that AWC have no way of knowing how much SWR paid me so cannot risk giving me an amount that totals over 100% ticket price.

They do, because they use the same delay repay supplier.

 

[ruaival]

They do, because they use the same delay repay supplier.

Useful info thanks ... I have concluded that Avanti want non-Advance ticket holders ti get £0 delay repay ... huge company, small irrelevant passenger me. I have given up.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Useful info thanks ... I have concluded that Avanti want non-Advance ticket holders ti get £0 delay repay ... huge company, small irrelevant passenger me. I have given up.

Your choice but not necessary.

Judging on the number of *overpayments* I've had I don't think anything of the sort is true.

 

[AlterEgo]

This is the sort of issue that may well get sorted in about 30 seconds on the phone, but the OP refuses to do this, so it's hard to have any sympathy.

 

[ruaival]

This is the sort of issue that may well get sorted in about 30 seconds on the phone, but the OP refuses to do this, so it's hard to have any sympathy.

I took your advice ... on the phone they said incorrect claim. Off peak return needs ticket date not journey date to be put on the form. Multi-leg journey needs end stations not the delayed journey start finish ones to be put on the form. Separate claims for outbound and return csuses problems ... result, claim cancelled. Avanti WC will create a fresh claim and system will decide in due course, no decision there and then.

Restarted my 20 working day clock.

 

[Belperpete]

I took your advice ... on the phone they said incorrect claim. Off peak return needs ticket date not journey date to be put on the form.

That sounds wrong to me. You need to put the day you actually travelled, so that they can corroborate the delays you experienced. I am not sure what is meant by "ticket date" - return tickets will have three dates on them: the day the ticket was bought, the day it was first valid for, and its expiry date. If Avanti CS have generated a fresh claim using any of these dates, rather than the date you actually travelled, be prepared for it to be rejected.

Multi-leg journey needs end stations not the delayed journey start finish ones to be put on the form.

That bit is correct. You should claim for the complete journey, not just the bit where the delay occured.

Separate claims for outbound and return csuses problems ... result, claim cancelled.

I have had claims for both outbound and return successfully paid in the past. I know that they have long checked for other claims on the same ticket number, but I wonder if simply refusing a claim because of this might be something new that has been implemented?

Might there be data protection issues with sharing details of one TOC's interaction with a customer with another TOC? Just because both TOC's DR claims are dealt with by the same organisation, doesn't necessarily mean it is allowed to share the information between teams.

Avanti WC will create a fresh claim and system will decide in due course, no decision there and then.

Avanti Customer Services are separate to their Delay Repay team. In my experience, they just repeat back whatever the Delay Repay team say. At least they have generated a fresh claim for you.

 

[Haywain]

I have had claims for both outbound and return successfully paid in the past. I

Me too, with both journeys on the same day with the same company. And both accepted

Might there be data protection issues with sharing details of one TOC's interaction with a customer with another TOC?

No, because the likelihood is that all that is shared is the ticket number or booking reference.

on the phone they said incorrect claim. Off peak return needs ticket date not journey date to be put on the form. Multi-leg journey needs end stations not the delayed journey start finish ones to be put on the form. Separate claims for outbound and return csuses problems ... result, claim cancelled. Avanti WC will create a fresh claim

So, in summary, the issue is how you submitted the claim?

 

[Belperpete]

No, because the likelihood is that all that is shared is the ticket number or booking reference.

My point was that this could be the issue, if this is all they are allowed to share.

If both claims are with Avanti, the team dealing with Avanti claims can see how much was awarded for the other Avanti claim. But if data protection issues mean that the Avanti team are not allowed to see how much the SWR team awarded, just that an award has been made against that ticket, then this could be the reason for rejection. If so, it would need the OP to give this information to the Avanti DR team.

I am surprised that the OP has had nothing from SWR giving details of the award. My experience with other TOCs is that I get two emails, one detailing the size of the award and how to appeal if it I think it is incorrect, and then another telling me that a payment of that amount is being made. Even if SWR haven't sent something saying how much they are paying, surely they would send something showing what percentage of the ticket price or how much delay they were paying for? Is the OP sure there isn't something in his spam folder, or hidden in the conversation history, giving this information?