Delay Repay claims rejected

[oversteer]

This was aggravating, from Avanti:

"Decision: Unsuccessful

The intended leg from 18:14 LONDON EUSTON, scheduled to arrive at MILTON KEYNES CENTRAL at 18:51 could not be taken because the train arrived late.
The alternative leg from 18:19 LONDON EUSTON left on time, scheduled to arrive at MILTON KEYNES CENTRAL at 18:56, actually arrived 18:57.
Total journey delay: 6 minutes - your intended arrival time was 18:51 and the calculated arrival time for your journey was 18:57."

The 18:14 arrived well ahead of time, boarded on time, then sat in the platform at Euston for ~15 minutes awaiting a driver.

Am I supposed to have got off the Avanti train and run across Euston to board a LNWR train after just a few minutes' delay ?

 

[AlterEgo]

This was aggravating, from Avanti:

"Decision: Unsuccessful

The intended leg from 18:14 LONDON EUSTON, scheduled to arrive at MILTON KEYNES CENTRAL at 18:51 could not be taken because the train arrived late.
The alternative leg from 18:19 LONDON EUSTON left on time, scheduled to arrive at MILTON KEYNES CENTRAL at 18:56, actually arrived 18:57.
Total journey delay: 6 minutes - your intended arrival time was 18:51 and the calculated arrival time for your journey was 18:57."

The 18:14 arrived well ahead of time, boarded on time, then sat in the platform at Euston for ~15 minutes awaiting a driver.

Am I supposed to have got off the Avanti train and run across Euston to board a LNWR train after just a few minutes' delay ?

Just appeal it and write in prose what actually happened. These automated systems are not very good, if I'm honest.

 

[Trainbike46]

Frankly I don't understand why these systems don't let you fill in both the journey you intended to make, and the journey you actually made. It would avoid so many misunderstandings.

 

[oversteer]

Yes, have certainly appealed it (within the 250 characters I am allowed to write)
I can imagine so many are put off by the process though.

 

[robbeech]

Frankly I don't understand why these systems don't let you fill in both the journey you intended to make, and the journey you actually made. It would avoid so many misunderstandings.

That’s something that the automated system can’t handle at the moment, it would have to be read by a human which is much slower. It would also result in more (correct) payouts which is something the railway won’t actively try to achieve for obvious reasons.


We’ve done all the arguments about automated systems being fixed to ACCEPT / REFER TO HUMAN to check. But ACCEPT / REJECT is easier and cheaper.

 

[cool110]

We’ve done all the arguments about automated systems being fixed to ACCEPT / REFER TO HUMAN to check. But ACCEPT / REJECT is easier and cheaper.

Northern do have a variation of the former, theirs won't even attempt to process claims involving rovers and rangers and says it'll go into the manual queue before you even submit the form. Speaking of which I put a pair of claims in on a TfGM Wayfarer, one was rejected on the basis of PTE tickets being excluded while the other paid out.

 

[Kite159]

Northern do have a variation of the former, theirs won't even attempt to process claims involving rovers and rangers and says it'll go into the manual queue before you even submit the form. Speaking of which I put a pair of claims in on a TfGM Wayfarer, one was rejected on the basis of PTE tickets being excluded while the other paid out.

Are Northern still playing silly games at trying to exclude paying out on multimodal PTE tickets trying to claim you could have minimised the delay by catching multiple buses?

 

[cool110]

Are Northern still playing silly games at trying to exclude paying out on multimodal PTE tickets trying to claim you could have minimised the delay by catching multiple buses?

Not even that, just flat out refusal

We are really sorry but we have rejected your claim because your are travelling with a Multi Modal ticket that allows travel on Buses, Trams and Trains. Unfortunately multi modal tickets are not eligible for compensation under Northern's delay repay scheme.

 

[wilsontown]

Frankly I don't understand why these systems don't let you fill in both the journey you intended to make, and the journey you actually made. It would avoid so many misunderstandings.

LNER does do this and seems to work OK.

 

[robbeech]

Are Northern still playing silly games at trying to exclude paying out on multimodal PTE tickets trying to claim you could have minimised the delay by catching multiple buses?

Of course they are. Who is going to stop them?

 

[SuspectUsual]

Of course they are. Who is going to stop them?

To be clear, they aren't actually refusing on the grounds that people could use buses to mitigate / minimise delays; they're just flat out refusing any DR in respect of travel on multimodal tickets.

 

[Wolfie]

To be clear, they aren't actually refusing on the grounds that people could use buses to mitigate / minimise delays; they're just flat out refusing any DR in respect of travel on multimodal tickets.

Sue them.

 

[robbeech]

To be clear, they aren't actually refusing on the grounds that people could use buses to mitigate / minimise delays; they're just flat out refusing any DR in respect of travel on multimodal tickets.

Indeed. They always have done despite the trend transport minister making it clear that it should be paid. Completely ignored and of course they’ve got away with it for nearly a decade because it is the railway and therefore no actual regulations apply to it.

 

[py_megapixel]

Of course if you used such a ticket and their late train caused you to miss your bus connection they would of course be quick to decide it wasn't their problem...

 

[johntea]

I had to put in a delay repay with TPE last week due to a rail replacement bus for the final leg of my journey being at capacity and as a result having to wait for the next one which meant an hour odd delay, surprisingly no rejection or appeal required and I got the full cost of my advance single back!

 

[[.n]]

Does anyone know if there is a phone number/email for SWR Delay Repay - I'm slightly going around in circles trying to claim on delay repay (via the automated claim procedure) but even the appeal option only allows 250 characters to be entered which does allow a full explanation.

For those interested I was using the RETURN part of of an Off Peak Return, and had broken the journey along the route, so the delay repay is from along part of the route only (where I restarted my journey, after the BoJ)

 

[thejuggler]

Frankly I don't understand why these systems don't let you fill in both the journey you intended to make, and the journey you actually made. It would avoid so many misunderstandings.

Agree with this. I've just done a claim for a Crosscountry trip Leeds to Cardiff, which was half an hour late to Cheltenham. The onward service should have been another Crosscountry service to Cardiff, but as this would be missed the on train crew advised staying on board to Bristol Parkway and taking a GWR service, they provided paperwork to permit the reroute.

The claim system just asked for the tickets bought, not the actual route taken so we'll see what happens.

 

[aar0]

I will continue to pester them. No apology for my delayed journey or their slow response either!

I have asked for a deadlock letter and so far (a week) Jesus hasn’t provided one. I asked GWR their opinion and Noah (clearly a theme here) said GWR’s position was that Thameslink cancelled my train and Thameslink ought to pay out, regardless of a multiple connection alternative route that may have got me on the Swansea train on time.

 

[Belperpete]

Frankly I don't understand why these systems don't let you fill in both the journey you intended to make, and the journey you actually made. It would avoid so many misunderstandings.

Because for the vast majority of claims the information about your actual journey is unnecessary, and the extra work needed to fill out those claims would probably put even more people off claiming.

 

[J.C.]

I've had a delay repay claim turned down by Northern today for not providing extra details when requested.
I couldn't see how to provide the extra information requested on the delay repay site so I sent an email with full details and attached the tickets as requested.
Delay occurred on 4 November, claim made on 5 November, sent extra details by email on 18 November. Award cancelled today, reason given 'extra details not provided'.
A phone call to customer services or letter of complaint?
I'll dwell on it overnight and decide in the morning.

 

[Kite159]

I've had a delay repay claim turned down by Northern today for not providing extra details when requested.
I couldn't see how to provide the extra information requested on the delay repay site so I sent an email with full details and attached the tickets as requested.
Delay occurred on 4 November, claim made on 5 November, sent extra details by email on 18 November. Award cancelled today, reason given 'extra details not provided'.
A phone call to customer services or letter of complaint?
I'll dwell on it overnight and decide in the morning.

Letter of complaint

 

[ChilliSauce]

This was aggravating, from Avanti:

"Decision: Unsuccessful

The intended leg from 18:14 LONDON EUSTON, scheduled to arrive at MILTON KEYNES CENTRAL at 18:51 could not be taken because the train arrived late.
The alternative leg from 18:19 LONDON EUSTON left on time, scheduled to arrive at MILTON KEYNES CENTRAL at 18:56, actually arrived 18:57.
Total journey delay: 6 minutes - your intended arrival time was 18:51 and the calculated arrival time for your journey was 18:57."

The 18:14 arrived well ahead of time, boarded on time, then sat in the platform at Euston for ~15 minutes awaiting a driver.

Am I supposed to have got off the Avanti train and run across Euston to board a LNWR train after just a few minutes' delay ?

What's the official interchange time between trains at Euston .... Because if that is more than 5 minutes I say you didn't have enough time to leave the 18.14 when realising it was delayed to walk round to the 18.19

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Dec 2025 ==

I've had a delay repay claim turned down by Northern today for not providing extra details when requested.
I couldn't see how to provide the extra information requested on the delay repay site so I sent an email with full details and attached the tickets as requested.
Delay occurred on 4 November, claim made on 5 November, sent extra details by email on 18 November. Award cancelled today, reason given 'extra details not provided'.
A phone call to customer services or letter of complaint?
I'll dwell on it overnight and decide in the morning.

Letter of complaint as it's formal and your then in the right direction to take Northern to the ombudsman

 

[signed]

What's the official interchange time between trains at Euston ....

15min

 

[AlterEgo]

I've had a delay repay claim turned down by Northern today for not providing extra details when requested.
I couldn't see how to provide the extra information requested on the delay repay site so I sent an email with full details and attached the tickets as requested.
Delay occurred on 4 November, claim made on 5 November, sent extra details by email on 18 November. Award cancelled today, reason given 'extra details not provided'.
A phone call to customer services or letter of complaint?
I'll dwell on it overnight and decide in the morning.

Call them. No point clogging up the bureaucracy with more correspondence particularly as this is the first decline and you've not even appealed yet. They clearly didn't get or read your email.

 

[J.C.]

Call them. No point clogging up the bureaucracy with more correspondence particularly as this is the first decline and you've not even appealed yet. They clearly didn't get or read your email.

Most likely thet haven't read it. I've had an automated acknowledgement that they received it.

 

[ainsworth74]

Because for the vast majority of claims the information about your actual journey is unnecessary, and the extra work needed to fill out those claims would probably put even more people off claiming.

It is frustrating though that often if the claim does go wrong when you appeal or they ask for more info you can't actually give them the information they need to be able to understand what's gone wrong and why. This causing even more appeals, phone calls, correspondence, complaints, etc etc. See @J.C. a few posts above mine for a good example of that! But I've had plenty of my own experiences like that.

 

[redreni]

Frankly I don't understand why these systems don't let you fill in both the journey you intended to make, and the journey you actually made. It would avoid so many misunderstandings.

Nah, it can be calculated based on a couple of foolproof assumptions:
1. Passengers never make a sub-MCT connection.
2. Passengers are time travellers who can go into the future, check the running data to work out what the quickest journey opportunity turned out to be, go back in time again and board the appropriate train as necessary to minimise their delay (but they will never use this power to avoid delays altogether, or to get a free ride).

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Dec 2025 ==

It is frustrating though that often if the claim does go wrong when you appeal or they ask for more info you can't actually give them the information they need to be able to understand what's gone wrong and why. This causing even more appeals, phone calls, correspondence, complaints, etc etc. See @J.C. a few posts above mine for a good example of that! But I've had plenty of my own experiences like that.

I had a moderately complex claim to make with Chiltern so I used their paper form. I did that because I wanted to give them my intended and actual timings up front. Their form has zero space for this, though, so I had to write it on the back of the photocopy of my season ticket, which they ignored.

I've been going back and forth with Chiltern for a fortnight, now, resubmitting information that I've already given them.

I told them I intended to go via Marylebone but I ended up going Leamington Spa > Reading > Paddington > [Transfer] > Cannon St > Slade Green and I provided tickets Leamington Spa to Banbury, Banbury to Boundary Zone 6 and a Z1-6 Travelcard season. They asked me which portion of the journey my season ticket covered. The staff know very little, seemingly.

And when they went quiet for 6 days and I nudged them, I got a shirty email back saying if you're in a hurry you should submit your claim online.

I suppose they've got a point, there. Providing all the information they need up front on paper doesn't help: they ask you for it all again anyway.

 

[gray1404]

Has anyone else noticed that Avanti are taking forever to process delay repay claims at the moment?

 

[aar0]

Has anyone else noticed that Avanti are taking forever to process delay repay claims at the moment?

Certainly my first ever claim with them two weeks ago took a week to even get a “we’ve got your delay repay application” email!

 

[CheapAndNerdy]

Has anyone else noticed that Avanti are taking forever to process delay repay claims at the moment?

Not for me. I submitted two claims on Wednesday afternoon and although I haven't received email confirmation, going online showed that that one claim was approved on Thursday and the other today (Friday).