Chiltern railways contract – Transport Focus comment

03 December 2021

Today Chiltern Railways announced it had signed a new six-year contract with the Department for Transport. The company will continue running trains between London Marylebone and Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and the West Midlands until December 2027.

Sharon Hedges, rail contracts manager at the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said:

“Passengers will be pleased to hear that the new contract includes a better onboard experience, longer opening hours for the help centre, and an easier process for claiming compensation for delays. The Delay Repay scheme has been introduced with a ‘trigger’ for claiming after just 15 minutes, something we encouraged.

“All this builds on a good track record of passenger satisfaction, as measured by the independent Transport Focus survey. As people plan their return to travel these things will improve the rail offer and help tempt people back on board.”