Delay Repay bouncing around

[whole diary]

[Hafren]

Irritating Delay Repay issue!

I made a journey July, and decided to take a long, slow multi-TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) route with several tickets in order to keep costs down. Predictably for a weekend in a heatwave, things fell apart and I had delays going out and back.

The outward Delay Repay claim with GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) went through fine.

The return journey's claim just sat there being processed for weeks. It was a hard call – Southern had delays, but made the GWR connection because it was also late. It then became later. I put the claim through GWR, partly because GWR's DR system makes it easier to enter split tickets, and partly because the GWR service was the 'long leg' with clear-cut delay. However, eventually GWR rejected the claim on the basis that it was Southern's delay.

I've had this before where GWR automatically passed the claim with the other TOC. However it seems they can't do this with Southern, so I just had an e-mail from Southern asking me to enter a fresh claim. And guess what... I can't remember all the details (no idea how late the Southern trains were) and it's now too late to check on RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website)!

When multiple TOCs are involved, especially with 'compound' delays, it would be nice if they could sort it out between themselves, just like they can do the ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services) distribution on the original purchase themselves!

I'm half-inclined to resubmit as two separate claims with the two TOCs, but that makes it fiddly because the tickets don't link at the TOC-change point and might create suspicton of a 'duplicate claim'.

So maybe I should just appeal with GWR on basis of incorrect 'other TOC' diagnosis, stating the GWR train was delayed, and if they want to pass the buck they can sort it out between themselves.

Also kicking myself because I usually take RTT screenshots when there are non-straightforward delays!

[ChrisB]

I have an account with RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website) so I believe can look back a lot further than a free account can.

If I can help, DM^▸ (Dilton Marsh (more correctly DMH^▸ (Dilton Marsh Halt)), or a Direct Message (a personal message ('pm') sent from one member to another on the forum), or Down Main (railway track), depending on context) me your trains & I'll look them up for you?

[chuffed]

I have been waiting since mid May for Trenitalia to cough up 50 euros for a taxi fare at 1am in the morning. My return train from Syracuse was stopped by a RTI^▸ (Real Time Information (displays)) at a level crossing outside Lentini. After an hours wait we trundled back to Syracuse , waited outside for a non existent coach before being put back on the same train. Our destination was Taormina!. Anyone who knows Taormina knows the train stataion is at sea level and the town is 800ft up via hairpin bends and no pavement, a couple of miles away. The last bus had left at 0820,it was now 1245am ! I have sent the taxi receipt and ticket to Taormina and the train part has been paid. I have been sending emails in Italian to rimborsi and reclami email addresses but have heard nothing.

[grahame]

I have been waiting since mid May for Trenitalia to cough up 50 euros for a taxi fare at 1am in the morning. My return train from Syracuse was stopped by a RTI^▸ (Real Time Information (displays)) at a level crossing outside Lentini. After an hours wait we trundled back to Syracuse , waited outside for a non existent coach before being put back on the same train. Our destination was Taormina!. Anyone who knows Taormina knows the train stataion is at sea level and the town is 800ft up via hairpin bends and no pavement, a couple of miles away. The last bus had left at 0820,it was now 1245am ! I have sent the taxi receipt and ticket to Taormina and the train part has been paid. I have been sending emails in Italian to rimborsi and reclami email addresses but have heard nothing.

That's one heck of a nasty walk even in daylight, and even using the crumbling slightly-more direct footpath.

[Hafren]

I decided to try out a month's RTT^» (Real Time Trains - website)+ subscription - probably useful in months where I'm travelling a lot! There were a lot of delays on Southern but by catching earlier late-running trains I could reach the Solent area on time. So it could easily be argued the main bulk of delay was still down to GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway). But it's hard to say which delay was the 'seed' for Delay Repay purposes. Exactly the thing they shuold be working out between themselves. I think sometimes where it's uncertain the system looks at the first leg's TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) without considering the overall working.

Not sure if Delay Repay money comes entirely from the TOC that accepts the claim or comes down to the original ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services) split.

[TaplowGreen]

Not sure if Delay Repay money comes entirely from the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) that accepts the claim or comes down to the original ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services) split.

It comes entirely from the taxpayer.

[grahame]

Not sure if Delay Repay money comes entirely from the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) that accepts the claim or comes down to the original ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services) split.

It comes entirely from the taxpayer.

Until the rail operations are also the taxpayer's responsibility, doesn't this remove [a/the] financial incentive from the operating company to run trains on time, and to make connections? 

[TaplowGreen]

Not sure if Delay Repay money comes entirely from the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) that accepts the claim or comes down to the original ORCATS^▸ (Operational Research Computerised Allocation of Tickets to Services) split.

It comes entirely from the taxpayer.

Until the rail operations are also the taxpayer's responsibility, doesn't this remove [a/the] financial incentive from the operating company to run trains on time, and to make connections? 

Absolutely. It's perverse. A safety net for poor performance.

Linking senior TOC pay to customer satisfaction ratings...........now there's an incentive that would have got results! 

[IndustryInsider]

It comes entirely from the taxpayer.

Until the rail operations are also the taxpayer's responsibility, doesn't this remove [a/the] financial incentive from the operating company to run trains on time, and to make connections? 

Absolutely. It's perverse. A safety net for poor performance.

Linking senior TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) pay to customer satisfaction ratings...........now there's an incentive that would have got results! 

How would you both like to see Delay Repay operate in the very near future when the transition to GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) is complete?

Scrap it entirely so it's in line with other forms of public transport? 
Get rid of the 15-29 minute refund band? 
Keep it largely as is, accepting the flaws because it means passengers receive compensation? 
Something else?

[TaplowGreen]

It comes entirely from the taxpayer.

Until the rail operations are also the taxpayer's responsibility, doesn't this remove [a/the] financial incentive from the operating company to run trains on time, and to make connections? 

Absolutely. It's perverse. A safety net for poor performance.

Linking senior TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company) pay to customer satisfaction ratings...........now there's an incentive that would have got results! 

How would you both like to see Delay Repay operate in the very near future when the transition to GBR^▸ (Great British Railways) is complete?

Scrap it entirely so it's in line with other forms of public transport? 
Get rid of the 15-29 minute refund band? 
Keep it largely as is, accepting the flaws because it means passengers receive compensation? 
Something else?

I'd like to see performance improve to a level where the need to pay it becomes much less frequent.

[IndustryInsider]

So less money paid out by the taxpayer for delays because lots more taxpayer money has been invested into reducing delays by employing more staff and upgrading worn out trains and infrastructure?

[GBM]

Roger French latest post aims at GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) and Cross Country delay repay (final two items)
https://busandtrainuser.com/2026/08/29/seen-around-47/

Cross Country
And finally for this month back to the frustrations of train companies’ unresponsiveness to Delay Repay claims and in particular the complete absence of any communication from Cross Country – a company that just seems to be going from worse to very worse at the moment.  .........continues............

And finally, GWR
Meanwhile GWR are up to their familiar unhelpful tricks again. Coming back from Bath last Saturday afternoon all trains through Chippenham were cancelled due to signalling problems .................continues............