Delay Repay - getting full amount?

[stq123]

Hello all! On the 17th January, I travelled with two members of my family from London to Manchester for the purpose of watching the 12:30 Manchester derby at Old Trafford. Trains that morning were severely disrupted due to a trespasser strike near Leighton Buzzard. We intended to travel (and did actually travel) on the 08:33 service (RTT link); it left Euston 60 minutes late, and arrived in Stockport 58 minutes late. At Stockport, an announcement was made that the train would be holding at Stockport for some time due to there being no space at Manchester Piccadilly; as such, we chose to abandon our train journey at Stockport at roughly 11:40 (65 minutes after the scheduled departure time from Stockport) and take a taxi to Old Trafford. The train ended up leaving Stockport 83 minutes late and arrived in Manchester 94 minutes late.

I filed for 60-119 minute Delay Repay from London to Manchester for all three tickets, expecting it to be approved as that was the amount by which we were delayed. However, Avanti only approved us for 30-59 minute Delay Repay, presumably because we scanned our tickets out at Stockport, and the train arrived in Stockport only 58 minutes late.

Does anyone have advice for how to file an appeal in order to maximize my chances of receiving 60-119 minute Delay Repay? We held three adult off-peak return tickets with no railcard discounts, should that information be important.

 

[jfollows]

Interesting, and apologies that I’m not answering your question; I arrived at Wilmslow station just as your train was arriving, I knew it was an hour late, I got on but immediately got off again because it was so crowded. I waited 5 minutes for the stopper from Alderley Edge which then overtook you at Stockport, and acquired a few refugees from your train, but I guess not valid to anyone with advance tickets. I saw that the Avanti train followed us into Manchester eventually but didn’t know why it was held at Stockport for so long.

 

[stq123]

Interesting, and apologies that I’m not answering your question; I arrived at Wilmslow station just as your train was arriving, I knew it was an hour late, I got on but immediately got off again because it was so crowded. I waited 5 minutes for the stopper from Alderley Edge which then overtook you at Stockport, and acquired a few refugees from your train, but I guess not valid to anyone with advance tickets. I saw that the Avanti train followed us into Manchester eventually but didn’t know why it was held at Stockport for so long.

Yeah, between disembarking and scanning out I overheard someone saying that the northern train - not the Avanti train - would be the next to depart, but I had no idea when that would be and frankly was unconfident enough in the railway at that point that I didn't want to risk anything happening.

And you should have seen the Euston rush for the train! Unlike anything I've ever seen before...

(Also, out of curiosity - what was Manchester Piccadilly like when you arrived? Was it chaos as well, or had things mostly been smoothed out by then?)

 

[jfollows]

Yeah, between disembarking and scanning out I overheard someone saying that the northern train - not the Avanti train - would be the next to depart, but I had no idea when that would be and frankly was unconfident enough in the railway at that point that I didn't want to risk anything happening.

And you should have seen the Euston rush for the train! Unlike anything I've ever seen before...

(Also, out of curiosity - what was Manchester Piccadilly like when you arrived? Was it chaos as well, or had things mostly been smoothed out by then?)

It was the most crowded I’ve seen a Pendolino for sure, I could just about squeeze on but then thought again and got off. Table window seat on the local train, on which all the seats were only taken at Stockport, but wasn’t unpleasantly full even then.
Piccadilly was normal, I went upstairs to the bar to wait for friends from Stoke who were on the Voyager behind your train. Busy but nothing unusual for mid-day Saturday, I watched for them arriving. I knew about your match but I was just going shopping and late lunch with friends.
Piccadilly barriers were open, but again nothing unusual.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Does anyone have advice for how to file an appeal in order to maximize my chances of receiving 60-119 minute Delay Repay?

Given that you tell us

We intended to travel (and did actually travel) on the 08:33 service (RTT link); it left Euston 60 minutes late, and arrived in Stockport 58 minutes late. (...) we chose to abandon our train journey at Stockport

It seems to me that for the journey you actually made by rail, you were delayed by 58 minutes. What then went on to happen to the train after you'd got off it is irrelevant. So in my view, Avanti are right to offer 30-59 minute DR.

 

[stq123]

Given that you tell us


It seems to me that for the journey you actually made by rail, you were delayed by 58 minutes. What then went on to happen to the train after you'd got off it is irrelevant. So in my view, Avanti are right to offer 30-59 minute DR.

They didn't make the announcement that there were issues at Manchester Piccadilly immediately, though; by the time that they did, we were >60 minutes delayed.

 

[Bletchleyite]

It's correct for it to be based on the arrival time at Stockport if you actually did end your journey there. Delay Repay is always based on the journey you did make, not a theoretical one you did not. You were therefore paid correctly.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jan 2026 ==

They didn't make the announcement that there were issues at Manchester Piccadilly immediately, though; by the time that they did, we were >60 minutes delayed.

I don't think this will actually make any difference I'm afraid even though it feels like it should. But you could appeal or contact customer services and say that and see.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

They didn't make the announcement that there were issues at Manchester Piccadilly immediately, though; by the time that they did, we were >60 minutes delayed.

I'm not convinced that the railway will go for that, but it may be worth a try.

 

[blimmo]

Does this mean the OP's "intended journey" retroactively changed the moment they decided to get off at Stockport?

 

[AlterEgo]

Clearly the DR amount is strictly correct but also BS - I'd write to Avanti and ask them to consider a gesture of goodwill to top up the claim in the circumstances.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Does this mean the OP's "intended journey" retroactively changed the moment they decided to get off at Stockport?

That's how the scheme works, yes. It's the same for me if I end at MKC instead of continuing to Bletchley, despite it arguably making sense that I end short at MKC and use some of my DR spoils to pay for a taxi. Sometimes waiting around for a bit can significantly increase the claim.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jan 2026 ==

Clearly the DR amount is strictly correct but also BS - I'd write to Avanti and ask them to consider a gesture of goodwill to top up the claim in the circumstances.

I've found their customer services are responsive to things like this sometimes. But you do have to go that way - if you just appeal the DR it'll be considered by people with no discretion at all and won't get increased.

 

[blimmo]

That's how the scheme works, yes. It's the same for me if I end at MKC instead of continuing to Bletchley, despite it arguably making sense that I end short at MKC and use some of my DR spoils to pay for a taxi. Sometimes waiting around for a bit can significantly increase the claim.

Are you allowed to retroactively change your intended journey if, for example, you find yourself at an interchange station in time to catch an earlier train than expected? (I am being somewhat facetious to point out something I view as a little inconsistent)

 

[stq123]

Clearly the DR amount is strictly correct but also BS - I'd write to Avanti and ask them to consider a gesture of goodwill to top up the claim in the circumstances.

Seems like this is the consensus - I'll write to Avanti, frame my request this way, and hope that they're responsive. Thanks everyone!

That's how the scheme works, yes. It's the same for me if I end at MKC instead of continuing to Bletchley, despite it arguably making sense that I end short at MKC and use some of my DR spoils to pay for a taxi. Sometimes waiting around for a bit can significantly increase the claim.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 19 Jan 2026 ==



I've found their customer services are responsive to things like this sometimes. But you do have to go that way - if you just appeal the DR it'll be considered by people with no discretion at all and won't get increased.

Is there any chance you could elaborate on how I should write to them? I was planning to just appeal the DR - is there e.g. some email address I should be using instead?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Are you allowed to retroactively change your intended journey if, for example, you find yourself at an interchange station in time to catch an earlier train than expected? (I am being somewhat facetious to point out something I view as a little inconsistent)

Only if it's a valid itinerary. If (and this is common) you get across London quicker than an itinerary allows, any payment would be based on the arrival time of the train that would be on the itinerary or when you arrived, whichever came first, not the complete delay to a random earlier one.

This does cause a slight problem if your itinerary said the xx30 but you got over quicker and made the xx15 instead, and then the xx15 failed and sat there for an hour while all the other trains went past it on the fast line including the xx30. That sort of thing is a case where you'd need manual intervention by customer services. Most of the time though if one train is delayed they all are and so a too-high, not too-low, payment is more likely.

 

[Belperpete]

Is there any chance you could elaborate on how I should write to them? I was planning to just appeal the DR - is there e.g. some email address I should be using instead?

I wouldn't bother trying to contact Avanti customer service about it. In my experience, that just results in a reply saying that they don't deal with Delay Repay matters, and you need to raise a Delay Repay claim!

I doubt that Avanti looked at your ticket scan history. Claims are initially run through an automated checking process that looks at how your train performed, and what alternatives you might have used to get there. No idea why it chose to give you a lesser amount, but there are various possible reasons.

If I were in your shoes, I would just appeal the decision using the link they will have given you. That is quick and simple to do. If they agree, job done. If they ask for further information to support your appeal, then is the time to provide it.

 

[Failed Unit]

This is an interesting one as the poster actually abondoned their journey and the railway didn't actually provide what they had paid for. I know that was thier choice as the train arrived a Manchester eventaully.

I have however got tickets refunded when the railway hasn't got destination. Station staff were involved. But in these cases I were given 2 options. 1. Return Home or continue with a 2 hour+ delay. Surely the fact that they didn't get to Manchester should matter?

 

[Starmill]

You actually did Avanti a favour by choosing to leave a heavily crowded train and make your own arrangements. I'd argue that you were indeed delayed by over an hour because you made those arrangements. Avanti could say that it was your free choice to abandon the journey earlier, but the counterfactual was that you would continue to be further delayed, so I am not sure that argument would go anywhere either.

Surely the fact that they didn't get to Manchester should matter?

They would be due the difference in price between what they used and what they paid for, which might be zero.

I wouldn't bother trying to contact Avanti customer service about it.

The OP has two choices. The first is to do nothing, the second is to contact Avanti customer service to make a complaint. I think they should choose whichever one they feel is right. They could submit the appeal but that isn't going to help them.

 

[Belperpete]

The OP has two choices.

Wrong.

The first is to do nothing, the second is to contact Avanti customer service to make a complaint. I think they should choose whichever one they feel is right. They could submit the appeal but that isn't going to help them.

Again, wrong.

In my experience, contacting Avanti customer services isn't going to help, for the reason I explained. Again, in my experience, simply raising an appeal does sometimes work.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I've found the opposite - the appeal was ignored but contacting customer services got it paid. It was a different situation, though.

 

[stq123]

Ok, further point of fascination: I went to the link given for the appeal to try that, and it said I could not yet submit an appeal as my claim was still in progress. This stands in stark contrast to the email I received this morning telling me that my claim had been approved. Anyone know what could be going on here?

 

[Fawkes Cat]

Ok, further point of fascination: I went to the link given for the appeal to try that, and it said I could not yet submit an appeal as my claim was still in progress. This stands in stark contrast to the email I received this morning telling me that my claim had been approved. Anyone know what could be going on here?

Possibly a system that only updates its data once a day? If it works today when it didn't work yesterday, that would be suggestive.

It might also mean that they consider the claim to still be in progress until (from the railway's point of view) it's been completed i.e. when they pay you the amount they think is correct. In which case there could be a pause of some days before they'll allow access.

 

[Starmill]

Wrong.


Again, wrong.

In my experience, contacting Avanti customer services isn't going to help, for the reason I explained. Again, in my experience, simply raising an appeal does sometimes work.

It seems a tad insulting to the OP to assume that they needed advice about how to press the button that says appeal on it to me. If the OP does not have anything to amend about the claim, then they won't get a different result by making it a second time will they? If the OP does have something to amend about the claim then this would be different of course. To be honest, though, if the OP put that their originally intended journey was to Stockport on the form, even if they intended to travel to Manchester when they booked / boarded the train, and actually did travel to or through Manchester by their own means, they have probably talked themselves out of receiving any compensation for an hour or more of delay for good.

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

I've found the opposite - the appeal was ignored but contacting customer services got it paid. It was a different situation, though.

This is almost always what happens. If you appeal you are at risk of the claim being assessed automatically again. If you amend the details of the claim it's more likely to be looked at by a human, or assessed again automatically but giving a different outcome.

If you contact customer services they can't assess your email automatically, and have to actually reply. If, on the off chance, they were to reply saying raise a claim, it's a simple matter of restating in one sentence the point that you've already had the rejection email. To be honest I suspect the OP reading all of this has taken them longer and used more effort than sending a two line email and waiting for the reply would have done by now.

It's always preferable to use the customer service contact if that's an option too because that way it gets counted separately. Lots of people contacting customer services to ask about, or rasing complaints regarding, delay repay is just about the only possible way they may be pushed to actually improve the process.

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

Possibly a system that only updates its data once a day? If it works today when it didn't work yesterday, that would be suggestive.

It might also mean that they consider the claim to still be in progress until (from the railway's point of view) it's been completed i.e. when they pay you the amount they think is correct. In which case there could be a pause of some days before they'll allow access.

Some of the claims forms are set up not to permit appeals whatsoever if they do make an award. You have to contact customer service. Which is yet a further reason why it's preferable.

 

[redreni]

Are you allowed to retroactively change your intended journey if, for example, you find yourself at an interchange station in time to catch an earlier train than expected? (I am being somewhat facetious to point out something I view as a little inconsistent)