New Northern delay repay system - 12pm from 11/04

[johntea]

Just had an email through from Northern, sounds good...the proof in the pudding will be at 12pm I guess!

Important update - the way you claim for compensation will change from from 12pm on Monday 11th April

On Monday 11th April we are moving to a new delay repay system, making it easier for our customers to claim compensation for their journeys via our website on your mobile phone or computer.

What changes are being made?

Our new system will make it easier for our customers to claim compensation where a Northern train was delayed or cancelled causing a delay of 15 minutes or more.

We’ve linked the new delay repay system with the Northern website and mobile app, meaning that information about tickets you have purchased will automatically feed through. This minimises the data you need to supply when making a claim and allows us to offer automated delay repay on advance ticket purchases.

Features of the new system include:

• New journey picker tool, reducing the need to upload photos
• Easily set and save a default compensation method – no need to add your details in every time
• Greater transparency with detailed information on how the system automatically calculated the delayed journey
• Review your claim history and claims in progress
• Submit appeals directly from your account
• Opt-in for automatic delay repay on advance tickets purchased from our website and app - we will email you to confirm your delay and you can claim the compensation due directly from your delay repay account
• Receive your compensation payments almost instantly with Payit™ by Natwest. It’s free to use and you don’t need to be a NatWest customer.

What action do I need to take?

From Monday 11th April you will be directed to our new system to make any new claims. The first time you log in you'll need to follow a few simple steps to access your account, click here to find out more.

The new system will be linked to your Northern website and mobile app account for purchasing tickets, so make sure you use the same email address for both to make your claims as simple as possible.

What about claims I already have in progress?

Any claims made prior to Monday 11th April will be processed on the existing system, and you will be able to review claims in progress or submit appeals as usual

 

[_toommm_]

Let’s hope they still offer free tickets as an option.

 

[roversfan2001]

Let’s hope they still offer free tickets as an option.

I imagine it's very much in their interest to offer them. The marginal cost of carrying an extra passenger must be close to zero. It saves them paying out financially and I'd hazard a guess that most journeys made on free tickets are entirely discrectionary and so simply wouldn't be made in the absence of the free ticket, so there's no lost revenue there either.

 

[SeanG]

How long are Northern taking to respond at the moment - I am still waiting a response from 6th March.

Thanks

 

[ainsworth74]

How long are Northern taking to respond at the moment - I am still waiting a response from 6th March.

Thanks

They've been processing my straight forward ones (journey entirely on Northern with no changes and on one ticket lodged using their online system) in around a week or two. So if it's a straight forward claim you might want to give them an email.

 

[skyhigh]

The main change is that claims will be processed internally (rather than by an external company as previously). This will hopefully result in a faster response of better quality for passengers.

It will also introduce auto delay repay and comparison with the live scan database in an attempt to reduce fraudulent claims.

 

[Southern Beau]

The main change is that claims will be processed internally (rather than by an external company as previously). This will hopefully result in a faster response of better quality for passengers.

It will also introduce auto delay repay and comparison with the live scan database in an attempt to reduce fraudulent claims.

Auto delay repay sounds good as most of my tickets are advance so presumably they’ll get picked up?

What’s the live scan database?

 

[skyhigh]

What’s the live scan database

Record of ticket scans from barriers/revenue checks - so it can be seen when the relevant ticket was scanned (and if it was scanned at say 10am, and an application made for the only delayed train of the day at 2pm, they may choose to ask for further information before approving the claim).

 

[Southern Beau]

Record of ticket scans from barriers/revenue checks - so it can be seen when the relevant ticket was scanned (and if it was scanned at say 10am, and an application made for the only delayed train of the day at 2pm, they may choose to ask for further information before approving the claim).

If they use the live scan database for entry and exit, could that also be used for auto repay?

Ie: using a day return, I enter Blackpool North at xx:xx, and exit Stockport at xx:xx which is 30 mins longer than the expected journey. Could the system identify that I’d be entitled to a 30 min delay repay?

Doesn’t work for non-barriers stations, and you could obviously hang back from a barrier to click over from 29 to 30 mins

 

[WesternLancer]

If they use the live scan database for entry and exit, could that also be used for auto repay?

Ie: using a day return, I enter Blackpool North at xx:xx, and exit Stockport at xx:xx which is 30 mins longer than the expected journey. Could the system identify that I’d be entitled to a 30 min delay repay?

Doesn’t work for non-barriers stations, and you could obviously hang back from a barrier to click over from 29 to 30 mins

I suspect such an approach would be unwise (to say the least) if you were a train operator - eg - you get off train and fancy a coffee at the Platform pumpkin shop as you have arrived 31 minutes before you said you would meet your friend outside the barriers on the concourse

or

You get off the train and do 20 minutes platform end train spotting before exiting through the barriers.

 

[skyhigh]

If they use the live scan database for entry and exit, could that also be used for auto repay?

Ie: using a day return, I enter Blackpool North at xx:xx, and exit Stockport at xx:xx which is 30 mins longer than the expected journey. Could the system identify that I’d be entitled to a 30 min delay repay?

Doesn’t work for non-barriers stations, and you could obviously hang back from a barrier to click over from 29 to 30 mins

Not easily. There could be several combinations of trains you could use to make a certain journey, there may be two trains at a similar time, your ticket may restrict you to certain operators, you might have a break of journey etc... whereas with Advance tickets it's relatively straightforward. Not to say it couldn't be done, but no plans for it to happen.

 

[Watershed]

If they use the live scan database for entry and exit, could that also be used for auto repay?

Ie: using a day return, I enter Blackpool North at xx:xx, and exit Stockport at xx:xx which is 30 mins longer than the expected journey. Could the system identify that I’d be entitled to a 30 min delay repay?

Doesn’t work for non-barriers stations, and you could obviously hang back from a barrier to click over from 29 to 30 mins

It'd be possible to develop such software, yes, however there would always be limitations (as described above) and ultimately there is no commercial incentive to spend a huge sum to enable customers to more easily claim compensation...

 

[CyrusWuff]

It'd be possible to develop such software, yes, however there would always be limitations (as described above) and ultimately there is no commercial incentive to spend a huge sum to enable customers to more easily claim compensation...

Whilst there's no commercial incentive to spend a lot of money on same, from 1st April all train companies (including the Open Access Operators, but excluding Eurostar and Charter operators) have to abide by the ORR Delay Compensation Code of Practice (downloadable here.)

 

[northwichcat]

you could obviously hang back from a barrier to click over from 29 to 30 mins

Northern seem to use the exact arrival time for Delay Repay. For example, if the train you intend to catch is cancelled and the following one is 1 minute early then they claim it's a 59 minute delay on a route with an hourly service. If the time was clocked by barriers they could pay more even for someone who runs as soon as the doors are released.

 

[miklcct]

I suspect such an approach would be unwise (to say the least) if you were a train operator - eg - you get off train and fancy a coffee at the Platform pumpkin shop as you have arrived 31 minutes before you said you would meet your friend outside the barriers on the concourse

or

You get off the train and do 20 minutes platform end train spotting before exiting through the barriers.

It will obviously be compared to the train running record. For example, if your ticket scan shows enter at xx:xx, and exit at xx:xx which is 30 minutes longer than the expected journey, and the train running between them is delayed by 30 minutes, then an automated delay repay claim can be offered.

 

[WesternLancer]

It will obviously be compared to the train running record. For example, if your ticket scan shows enter at xx:xx, and exit at xx:xx which is 30 minutes longer than the expected journey, and the train running between them is delayed by 30 minutes, then an automated delay repay claim can be offered.

But in many cases irrelevant what time your ticket goes through the barriers on and off the platform - people arrive early and do not always depart the platform soon after their train arrives. I don't think I really understand the point you're making I'm afraid (sorry!) - the point I was replying to was about using barrier line scan times to make D-R payments which I thought was unrealistic - and not really desirable either, from the TOCs point of view.

I assume the idea was that:

eg there is a train from York to Leeds at 10.05 (and that train gets delayed), due to arrive at Leeds at 10.45, and actually arrives at 11.20 (theoretical times for illustrative purposes)

• You go through the York barrier line at 09.57 with a ticket to Leeds, which is scanned at the barrier and the time logged
• System presumes you are catching the 10.05 to Leeds
• System knows 10.05 is delayed arriving at Leeds
• System sees you exited Leeds barrier line about 11.25 - five mins after the delayed arrival in Leeds
• System pays you D-R if due on this presumption, without you making a claim

But for reasons stated in this thread I can't see that ever being worth implementing. There are times when expecting people to make a claim is an appropriate thing to do - the thing to do is to not make the claim process so difficult or complex it is actively off putting.

But the point about allowing the barrier line data to be checked to guard against fraudulent D-R claims sounds like a useful facility, if it works (eg claims for D-R against a delayed train at 16.00 when your scan shows entrances and exists in the morning).

And an automated D-R payment could (presumably) be made on the train running record with no reference to barrier ticket scan records, for train specific tickets (ie Advance tickets)

Anyway - do hope I'm not misunderstanding the point you are trying to make! - All the best.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Northern seem to use the exact arrival time for Delay Repay. For example, if the train you intend to catch is cancelled and the following one is 1 minute early then they claim it's a 59 minute delay on a route with an hourly service. If the time was clocked by barriers they could pay more even for someone who runs as soon as the doors are released.

LNR did that to me once. I appealed with wording along the lines of "don't take the mick", and they paid the full amount. It is so incredibly petty to do it like this that it causes significant passenger bad-will. If your train at 1000, due to arrive 1100, was cancelled, then if you took the 1100 due to arrive at 1200 you're an hour late. The 1000 would probably have arrived one minute early too.

 

[johntea]

Has anyone had any claims processed through the 'new' portal yet (in a typical Northern fashion the existing portal is still active at https://delay.northernrailway.co.uk which wouldn't be so bad except it is the first result that pops up on Google should someone type in 'Northern delay repay'!)

I submitted one last Monday afternoon but heard absolutely nothing so far, appreciate the confirmation email states '20 working days' but I typically got a response much faster previously, although I did select the 'slow' option of free tickets... (they have now hidden these options unless you click to see them by the way!)

 

[_toommm_]

Has anyone had any claims processed through the 'new' portal yet (in a typical Northern fashion the existing portal is still active at https://delay.northernrailway.co.uk which wouldn't be so bad except it is the first result that pops up on Google should someone type in 'Northern delay repay'!)

I submitted one last Monday afternoon but heard absolutely nothing so far, appreciate the confirmation email states '20 working days' but I typically got a response much faster previously, although I did select the 'slow' option of free tickets... (they have now hidden these options unless you click to see them by the way!)

The old portal is still open for any claims prior to the new system. I'm still arguing a claim from 25th February so it might be a while yet for you!