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Train or Tube journey affected by the latest strikes? Here are your refund rights
Transport services across the UK are to be disrupted again with thousands of rail workers due to walk out on Wednesday 1 February and Friday 3 February. See below for more info and to find out what your refund rights are.
Workers are striking over disputes relating to pay, jobs and conditions.
- Workers at 15 train companies will walk out on Wednesday 1 February and Friday 3 February.
We've listed changes to individual rail companies' timetables over this period below.
Ticket refund rights if your train is cancelled
You've got two choices:
- Due to travel on Wednesday 1 or Friday 3 February on a single-use ticket? In most cases you can travel the day before the date on your ticket, or travel on any day up to and including Tuesday 7 February. This also means you may be able to use your ticket for a later service on any of the strike days themselves if there is an available train.
- Or you can get a full refund if you cannot travel. Generally, if your train is cancelled or rescheduled, you are entitled to a full refund from the firm you were due to travel with for any ticket type, including advance tickets (see how to claim your money back). This includes where the train is cancelled due to strike action.
Ticket refund rights if your train is delayed
For single-use rail tickets:
If you have paid for a single-use ticket, be it an advance ticket, off-peak ticket or anytime ticket, you should be eligible for a partial or full refund if your train is delayed due to the strikes.
The amount you can claim depends on how long your train is delayed for. The majority of train firms now operate the 'Delay Repay' system, which means they pay out regardless of whether the delay was their fault. While there are some variations to how it works from company to company, in most cases it's as follows:
- If it's delayed by 15-29 minutes you'll get 25% back (12.5% off a return)
- If it's delayed by 30-59 minutes you'll get 50% back (25% off a return)
- You'll get 100% back for 60-119 minutes (50% off a return)
- You'll get 100% back off a single or return for delays of 120+ minutes
To see which companies offer Delay Repay, and how they operate it, see our Trains delays guide.
For season tickets:
Most season ticket holders can also claim for individual delays, but the rules vary and it's also worth checking if you can claim for continual delays. For full info, see our summary of season ticket rules.
How to claim for cancellations and delays
While the rules around refunds for train delays and cancellations are complicated, submitting your claim is usually straightforward and quick to do. Just follow these five steps to claim for delayed AND cancelled trains (providing you didn't use your ticket on another service):
Look up the train company running the service and find out how much you can get back. See our list of individual firms' policies.
Make a note of the delay and the reason for it (if you can't remember the length of the delay, use the Recent Train Times tool). Fill in the claim form – you can find it online (see a list of firms' websites) or request one from the station or by phone.
Keep hold of your tickets – you'll need to take a photo of them, or scan them if applying online, or post them to the train company if claiming that way. You need to claim directly to the train company, even if you purchased your tickets through a third party reseller.
Apply within the time limit of 28 days.
If you're rejected for compensation or a refund but still think you have a case, complain – you may be able to escalate your case to the Rail Ombudsmen or independent watchdog Transport Focus. See more in What to do if your claim's rejected.
Impacted by Tube or TfL delays or cancellations? You can't get a refund or compensation for strike action
You can't get a full or partial refund for any delays or cancellations on London Underground, London Overground, DLR or Elizabeth Line caused by strike action. This includes those using pay-as-you-go services and those with weekly, monthly or annual season tickets.
However, TfL does pay out for other delays – for full info, see our Tube delays guide.
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