Delay Repay Anomaly

[Slimjim1]

I am posting to make forum members aware of what I think is a misleading interpretation of the Delay Repay scheme.

My outward journey was on time but the return journey was delayed by over 120 minutes.

I was travelling using split tickets - an Advance Single and Super Off Peak Single on the outward journey and the same (Advance Single and Super Off Peak Single) on the return journey.

Having read the Delay-Repay conditions I thought that I was entitled to 100% of the cost of the return journey.

The response to my claim was that I was only entitled to 100% of the cost of the return journey (and entitled to 0% of the outward journey) due to the fact that one of the tickets on the outward journey was an Advance Single.

The tickets were all booked at the same time and I have a screenshots from my rail company account which shows the relevant journey as “Out” and “Rtn” The same screenshot also states “Type Super Off Peak Single” and “Advance Single” as the type of tickets supplied.

A Super Off Peak Return was not available due to the fact that my outward journey was on a Saturday and the return journey was on the following day and there are no “Advance Returns” offered for sale.

I appealed the decision with the rail company and I was told that I “have misunderstood the Delay-Repay scheme rules” as 100% compensation of the return journey was only available for return tickets.

I raised the matter with the Rail Ombudsman (including screenshot evidence that the journey was booked as Outward and Return - see above) and the decision of the Ombudsman is that the rail company is correct.

There is no appeal to the Rail Ombudsman.

Is there any way / is it worth taking the matter further?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Slimjim1. Not really. Reckon you're only entitled to 100% 'Delay Repay' on the single tickets used on your delayed journey back.

 

[jfollows]

Advance tickets are single tickets and your entitlement to Delay Repay is based on that.
If your outbound journey was on time, there is no eligibility to Delay Repay from that.
You can claim for delay on your return journey, based on the cost of the single advance tickets you bought.
If you’d bought a return ticket (you didn’t) then the rules would be different.

 

[Honestviews]

I'm honestly not sure why you think it is "a misleading interpretation of the Delay Repay scheme."

Under the National Rail conditions of Travel, the minimum compensation is 50% of the price paid if you arrive 60 minutes or later for a "Single Ticket, or Return Ticket with delay on both the outward and return journey."

Most schemes are more generous for example SWR gives

15 to 29 minutes delay

25% of cost if single

12.5% of cost if return

30 to 59 minutes 50% of cost 25% of cost 25% of cost 60 to 119 minutes 100% of cost 50% of cost 50% of cost 120 minutes or more 100% of cost 100% of cost 100% of cost

The key point is that it depends upon whether you purchased a single ticket or return.

Your point is because you had tickets for the outbound journey and the inbound journey that you had a return ticket. But you didn't. As you clearly set out you had advance single tickets and super off peak tickets. You therefore did not have a return ticket; you had a single ticket(s).

 

[Watershed]

I'm honestly not sure why you think it is "a misleading interpretation of the Delay Repay scheme."

Under the National Rail conditions of Travel, the minimum compensation is 50% of the price paid if you arrive 60 minutes or later for a "Single Ticket, or Return Ticket with delay on both the outward and return journey."

Most schemes are more generous for example SWR gives

15 to 29 minutes delay

25% of cost if single

12.5% of cost if return

30 to 59 minutes 50% of cost 25% of cost 25% of cost 60 to 119 minutes 100% of cost 50% of cost 50% of cost 120 minutes or more 100% of cost 100% of cost 100% of cost

The key point is that it depends upon whether you purchased a single ticket or return.

Your point is because you had tickets for the outbound journey and the inbound journey that you had a return ticket. But you didn't. As you clearly set out you had advance single tickets and super off peak tickets. You therefore did not have a return ticket; you had a single ticket(s).

Agreed. It's certainly a harsh outcome but the rules don't require 100% of both tickets to be paid.

 

[Honestviews]

Agreed. It's certainly a harsh outcome but

Good afternoon.
I was very interested that you thought it was harsh.

I can sort of see that in the context of the fact that delay repay works for a delay due as split tickets so it looks at the end journey time. I must admit I have always thought that was unfair in the sense of if you buy a split ticket you take the risk just as you would do if you split your airline ticket.

Why do you think it's harsh!

 

[skyhigh]

I must admit I have always thought that was unfair in the sense of if you buy a split ticket you take the risk just as you would do if you split your airline ticket.

What risks do you take with a split ticket that don't exist with a through ticket?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Jul 2025 ==

Why do you think it's harsh!

It doesn't take much imagination to see why someone may consider it to be harsh when you're entitled to different amounts in delay repay when you've bought a return vs two Advances in the same transaction with a return itinerary.

 

[AlterEgo]

I raised the matter with the Rail Ombudsman (including screenshot evidence that the journey was booked as Outward and Return - see above) and the decision of the Ombudsman is that the rail company is correct.

There is no appeal to the Rail Ombudsman.

Is there any way / is it worth taking the matter further?

It’s been ever thus. The train company is correct and you have misunderstood the rules.

 

[Honestviews]

What risks do you take with a split ticket that don't exist with a through ticket?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 12 Jul 2025 ==


It doesn't take much imagination to see why someone may consider it to be harsh when you're entitled to different amounts in delay repay when you've bought a return vs two Advances in the same transaction with a return itinerary.

I mean you save the money but in my view should take the risk that you don't qualify for delay repay. For example lets say you travel on SWR which gives delay repay after 15 minutes. You split yout ticket to save money and have two tickets. For the "end" station of your first split you arrive/past 14 minutes late and the second 10 minutes late (based upoin the start and end of your second split). For SWR that would mean if you have a split ticket you would not qualify as you had two separate journeys both arriving individually under 15 minutes but for a non split you would qualify for delay repay.

 

[AlterEgo]

I mean you save the money but in my view should take the risk that you don't qualify for delay repay. For example lets say you travel on SWR which gives delay repay after 15 minutes. You split yout ticket to save money and have two tickets. For the "end" station of your first split you arrive/past 14 minutes late and the second 10 minutes late (based upoin the start and end of your second split). For SWR that would mean if you have a split ticket you would not qualify as you had two separate journeys both arriving individually under 15 minutes but for a non split you would qualify for delay repay.

This has nothing to do with ticket splitting and is only about whether a passenger books single or return tickets.

 

[Watershed]

This has nothing to do with ticket splitting and is only about whether a passenger books single or return tickets.

Indeed. And regardless of what @Honestviews would like the position for split tickets to be, it has long been recognised that they constitute a through journey with the associated rights. I suggest any further discussion of this is should be on a new thread quoting this post.

 

[superalbs]

I mean you save the money but in my view should take the risk that you don't qualify for delay repay. For example lets say you travel on SWR which gives delay repay after 15 minutes. You split yout ticket to save money and have two tickets. For the "end" station of your first split you arrive/past 14 minutes late and the second 10 minutes late (based upoin the start and end of your second split). For SWR that would mean if you have a split ticket you would not qualify as you had two separate journeys both arriving individually under 15 minutes but for a non split you would qualify for delay repay.

Why do you want passenger rights to be eroded just because someone has tried to find a good deal? Bonkers.

 

[Honestviews]

This has nothing to do with ticket splitting and is only about whether a passenger books single or return tickets.

I do appreciate that and in my response to the op I didn't mention split ticketing. I simply said as the op had single tickets for his outbound and inbound journey he did not hand a return ticket.