Delay repay compensation – still more to do for passengers

03 March 2026

One of the things that matters most to passengers is a service that is both punctual and reliable. Delays are a part of life and are often unavoidable, but this doesn’t make it less frustrating for passengers who have paid for their ticket.  

Disruption to a journey can mean a disruption to daily life. This means being late for work or school, missing appointments and events or simply getting home later than planned. Delays to one leg of a journey can also have a knock-on effect that causes passengers to miss a connection and add even more stress to the rest of their journey.  

When things don’t go to plan, passengers are entitled to compensation, in the form of Delay Repay, which can help take away some of the sting.  

Since 2016, the Department for Transport has reported bi-annually on the share of passengers who are claiming delay repay compensation. For the first time since tracking began, the claim rate has fallen slightly with just 45 per cent of passengers with an eligible delay claiming compensation, down from 47 per cent in 2023.  

This means that just over half of all eligible passengers are missing out on money that they are entitled to having experienced a disrupted journey.  

So, why aren’t more passengers claiming compensation? The latest research from the Department of Transport shows that 47 per cent of potential claimants were either unaware they could claim compensation or believed they weren’t eligible to do so. This lack of awareness is a significant barrier preventing passengers from receiving what they are entitled to and would be avoided by a fully automated process that only a few operators already offer.  

In fact, passengers are satisfied with how their claims are being dealt with. Four in five are happy with the value of the compensation received, while 89 per cent reported satisfaction with the form of compensation received. Satisfaction with the claims process remains high – yet some passengers still don’t think it is worth their time to claim.  

Passengers may also feel like it’s not worth their time to claim despite research revealing that nearly all passengers receive a decision on their claim within the agreed four-week deadline. This includes two thirds of passengers receiving a decision within seven days. 

We’ve known for a while now that many passengers would prefer a ‘one-click’ process or automatic compensation that takes the hassle out of the process. While this is the case for some operators, there are still others that require you to manually input all your journey information which can be complicated and time-consuming for passengers.  

As we head towards Great British Railways, there is a real opportunity for the industry to grow trust with passengers by establishing a fully automated compensation scheme that makes it easier than ever before for passengers to get what they are entitled to in the unfortunate event of a delay.   

Not only should there be automated compensation for delays and cancellations, but the industry must also ensure every eligible passenger knows how and when to claim so that they get the money they are entitled to. This includes making sure passengers without access to the internet and those without a bank account and reliant on cash aren’t left behind and are given consideration when it comes to future changes to this process.   

For passengers, we need to overcome indifference and try to claim every time a delay is experienced. A portion of your travel cost being refunded to you may not make up for the inconvenience of a delay, but in the act of claiming you are holding the industry to account over a poor service, and making your voice heard. There is no better way for passengers to ensure that the industry is listening to them.  

Natasha Grice  

Director, Transport Focus