Delay repay claim rejected

[puffing billy]

Last week I travelled from Portsmouth & Southsea to Littlehampton, changing at Barnham.

Both Southern Railway and the National Rail journey planner suggested the following itinerary:

PMS 12:57 to BAR 13:27
BAR 13:42 to LIT 13:52

On the day of my journey (12-Feb-2026) the train from Portsmouth was delayed and didn't arrive at Barnham until 13:45. Although the Barnham to Littlehampton (then to Brighton) left slightly late I missed the connection at Barnham and had to wait for the next direct service.

In theory, I could have got to Littlehampton sooner by catching a Brighton/Victoria service to Angmering and doubling-back to Littlehampton but I'm not sure if that is a valid route. Could anyone comment?

Anyway, Southern rejected my delay repay claim with this explanation

"Rejection reason: We've checked the journey you've claimed for and our records show that there was no delay. This is based on the arrival time of the service(s) that ran and is below the minimum threshold that entitles you to Delay Repay compensation. We used the following information to calculate your delay:

The intended leg from 12:57 PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHSEA left on time, scheduled to arrive at BARNHAM at 13:27, arrived 18 minutes late.

The intended leg from 14:41 BARNHAM left on time, scheduled to arrive at LITTLEHAMPTON at 14:52, arrived 2 minutes early. Total journey delay: No delay."

How can they claim the intended 2nd leg from Barnham is the 14:41 when their own journey planner indicates the 13:42. If I resubmit the claim, as suggested, I will probably get the same response as there doesn't seem to be any way to provide an explanation.

 

[bb21]

Email them at comments@southernrailway.com or raise a complaint through their web form quoting your Delay Repay case reference.

I can't see why they are not offering you the 1342 service. The schedule is clearly there and the train ran. You left plenty of time for the interchange at Barnham.

For future reference you are of course fine to change at Angmering. There is no doubleback involved. A doubleback is where you traverse the same section between two stations but Ford - Angmering and Angmering - Littlehampton do not cover any complete section between the same two stations.

As to changing at Angmering versus waiting it out at Barnham, yes you could have arrived a little earlier however there is no difference for Delay Repay compensation on this occasion, as you would still have arrived 40 minutes late (versus 58 minutes late) so the repaid sums are the same.

 

[redreni]

We used the following information to calculate your delay: The intended leg from 12:57 PORTSMOUTH & SOUTHSEA left on time, scheduled to arrive at BARNHAM at 13:27, arrived 18 minutes late.

Fine

The intended leg from 14:41 BARNHAM

Er-errrrrr. That wasn't your intention. You need to point that out to them.

left on time, scheduled to arrive at LITTLEHAMPTON at 14:52, arrived 2 minutes early. Total journey delay: No delay."

Yes, it left on time, but it wasn't the intended leg! It's an hour later, so you were an hour late (though they'll argue, when they've finished denying you were delayed at all, that it was only 58 minutes, which is true comparing your actual arrival time with the timetable, so there's not much you can do about that).

Pretty sure the Angmering thing is a red herring.