Delay Repay Ping-Pong

[DaveyJones]

I'm currently stuck in a delay repay ping pong between Cross Country (30' Delay Repay) and WMR (15' Delay Repay) dating back to November.

I made my initial claim to WMR, as the local connecting service (Cross City) was suspended for multiple hours, however this was referred to Cross Country as the original service was delayed (due to congestion into Birmingham). It was long enough ago that I can't check exactly how late my inbound service was, but I suspect it was less than 30' late.

It has since been referred back to WMR and back to XC. I challenged the final referral from WMT, and received another automated message telling me it wasn't their train...

What is the best route for escalating this?

 

[KNN]

I'd make a separate complaint about the handling of your claim.

If you've done that and it hasn't made a difference the Rail Ombudsman is the body for these matters.

Rail Ombudsman

The Rail Ombudsman is an independent, not-for-profit organisation. We offer a free, expert service to help sort out unresolved customer complaints about Service Providers within the rail industry.

www.railombudsman.org

[Link to website for Rail Ombudsman a non-profit organisation set up to advocate for passengers in disputes with rail companies]

 

[AlterEgo]

I'm currently stuck in a delay repay ping pong between Cross Country (30' Delay Repay) and WMR (15' Delay Repay) dating back to November.

I made my initial claim to WMR, as the local connecting service (Cross City) was suspended for multiple hours, however this was referred to Cross Country as the original service was delayed (due to congestion into Birmingham). It was long enough ago that I can't check exactly how late my inbound service was, but I suspect it was less than 30' late.

It has since been referred back to WMR and back to XC. I challenged the final referral from WMT, and received another automated message telling me it wasn't their train...

What is the best route for escalating this?

What was your itinerary? Please list the planned journey, and actual journey, with times.

If XC caused the first delay, it falls under their scheme. On what grounds did you claim from WMR?

 

[robbeech]

There are ways to access historic running data that may not be immediately obvious or available to most members of the public so telling us the exact XC journey would at least get you that result, though it might not help in this case.

 

[Belperpete]

If XC caused the first delay, it falls under their scheme. On what grounds did you claim from WMR?

What is critical is if the XC was sufficiently late that the OP missed their scheduled WMT connection, then XC would be responsible, whether the WMT ran or not. So if the OP were say two hours late getting to final destination, XC should be paying for a two hour delay, even though their train may have been less than 30 minutes late.

My advice when a TOC refers a claim to another, is to immediately dispute that. Don't wait for it to be referred back.

 

[jfollows]

What was your itinerary? Please list the planned journey, and actual journey, with times.

If XC caused the first delay, it falls under their scheme. On what grounds did you claim from WMR?

Agreed.
If you tell us this information, we can probably tell you the details you want plus how to find them.

 

[Haywain]

My advice when a TOC refers a claim to another, is to immediately dispute that. Don't wait for it to be referred back.

Except in this case it seems that XC caused the delay and the claim was submitted to WMR, so the latter were right to send it on to XC.

 

[Belperpete]

Agreed that in this case it looks like XC are responsible. But appealing does no harm, it just means that both TOCs consider it in parallel, rather than ping ponging it. And if you are lucky, both might pay out.

 

[Haywain]

And if you are lucky, both might pay out.

Which is, clearly, another good reason for centralising administration of claims.

 

[DaveyJones]

Agreed.
If you tell us this information, we can probably tell you the details you want plus how to find them.

11/11/2025 1V62 16:31 Derby to Birmingham (from the message history on my phone suggesting it arrived in platform at 17:32 (ETA is 17:06 so not a Delay repay failure for CrossCountry. My Booked connection would be 2O48 17:22 Birmingham to Longbridge, but the Cross City was suspended.
In truth, i travelled on the delayed 17:20 towards Worcester, arriving (via the Camp Hill) at Bromsgrove at 18:09 from where i made my own way home (got a lift).
To add to this, i have had another rejection from Cross Country (stating that my claim is for 11/1/26 and therefore my ticket is not valid...

i'm unclear where to escalate to next

 

[jfollows]

login 7410p

For example

 

[AlterEgo]

11/11/2025 1V62 16:31 Derby to Birmingham (from the message history on my phone suggesting it arrived in platform at 17:32

That train arrived at Birmingham New Street at 1722.

(ETA is 17:06 so not a Delay repay failure for CrossCountry.

Irrelevant - the missed connection would have caused you to be delayed into your final destination. XC would pay any claim which arose. Doesn't matter if a 2 minute delay on XC causes you to miss a connection for which you're then an hour late, delay repay applies to the entire journey being made and is not train-specific.

My Booked connection would be 2O48 17:22 Birmingham to Longbridge, but the Cross City was suspended.

The fact Cross City was suspended is also irrelevant. XC already fouled the connection, they are liable for any claim.

In truth, i travelled on the delayed 17:20 towards Worcester, arriving (via the Camp Hill) at Bromsgrove at 18:09 from where i made my own way home (got a lift).
To add to this, i have had another rejection from Cross Country (stating that my claim is for 11/1/26 and therefore my ticket is not valid...

i'm unclear where to escalate to next

Well this makes things complicated. You didn't go to Longbridge.

XC clearly are liable for any claim, but as you have not completed the journey by train it is not clear what you are due.

I would write back to XC pointing all of this out and asking them to compensate you either under their delay repay scheme or with an ex-gratia gesture.

 

[DaveyJones]

That train arrived at Birmingham New Street at 1722.


Irrelevant - the missed connection would have caused you to be delayed into your final destination. XC would pay any claim which arose. Doesn't matter if a 2 minute delay on XC causes you to miss a connection for which you're then an hour late, delay repay applies to the entire journey being made and is not train-specific.


The fact Cross City was suspended is also irrelevant. XC already fouled the connection, they are liable for any claim.


Well this makes things complicated. You didn't go to Longbridge.

XC clearly are liable for any claim, but as you have not completed the journey by train it is not clear what you are due.

I would write back to XC pointing all of this out and asking them to compensate you either under their delay repay scheme or with an ex-gratia gesture.

Thanks for the feedback - point taken on finding my own way home (noting I value my time over a 50% refund of a £25 ticket, but I'm making a poor show if it here!).

What should I have done? As I recall it the first trains didn't run on the cross city/calling at Longbridge until the following morning. There were Replacement Buses between Bromsgrove and Longbridge, but I guess that's technically overrunning my ticket?