One-click compensation for passengers

01 October 2018

Commenting on Chris Grayling’s plan for one-click rail compensation, Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus says:

“After recent disruption, ‘one-click’ automated compensation for delays on the railway cannot arrive too soon, so we look forward to seeing this in the ‘new’ franchises for Southeastern, East Midland and the West Coast Partnership. Our research, published today by the Department for Transport, does show that while it’s now easier to claim far too many passengers still don’t request the compensation they are eligible to receive. Train operators still have a lot to do before the majority of eligible passengers get the compensation they deserve under current arrangements.”

Background

The latest research by Transport Focus (undertaken for and cited in a report and factsheet published by the Department for Transport today) shows that satisfaction rates are improving with reference to how easy it is to claim Delay Repay compensation. It also confirms that more people are claiming than before, but that levels remain low – less than 18 per cent of eligible passengers currently request Delay Repay 15 compensation – so there is ample room for substantial improvement.