Money-saving guide
Delay Repay UK: how much compensation you can claim
Delay Repay compensates you for a UK train journey you actually took but that arrived late. Every major operator runs its own scheme, and not all of them use the same threshold. Select who you travelled with below to see the exact rules and compensation amount.
Check your operator’s Delay Repay scheme
Which train operator were you travelling with?
Is Delay Repay 15 minutes for every operator? No.
Most guides describe “Delay Repay 15” as if it’s a single national scheme. It isn’t. A 15-minute threshold has been widely adopted, but LNER, CrossCountry and ScotRail still run the older 30-minute threshold, a genuine difference in your operator’s scheme, not a rounding error or a typo on their part.
A 20-minute delay on a 15-minute-threshold operator already qualifies for compensation. The same 20-minute delay on LNER, CrossCountry or ScotRail qualifies for nothing at all, since it falls short of their 30-minute entry point. Checking which scheme your specific operator runs matters more than knowing the general percentages.
Which UK train companies offer Delay Repay?
All the major ones. LNER, Avanti West Coast, East Midlands Railway, Northern, CrossCountry, TransPennine Express, GWR, South Western Railway, Greater Anglia, Southeastern, the Southern/Thameslink/Great Northern group, ScotRail, West Midlands Railway, c2c and Chiltern Railways all run a Delay Repay scheme. What differs between them isn’t whether the scheme exists, it’s the threshold: 15 minutes for most, 30 minutes for LNER, CrossCountry and ScotRail specifically.
How much Delay Repay compensation you get
National Rail doesn’t publish one master percentage table. Each operator sets its own scheme under its Passenger’s Charter, but the figures below are confirmed identically across every 15-minute-threshold operator’s own page.
15 to 29 minutes late
25% of a single fare, or 12.5% of a return.
30 to 59 minutes late
50% of a single fare, or 25% of a return.
60 to 119 minutes late
100% of a single fare, or 50% of a return.
120 minutes or more late
100% of a single fare, or 100% of a return (both legs).
These figures apply to the 15-minute-threshold operators. LNER, CrossCountry and ScotRail pay 50% at 30 to 59 minutes and 100% at 60 minutes or more, with no equivalent 15 to 29 minute tier. Select your operator above for the exact numbers.
Delay Repay and a refund are not the same thing
Delay Repay compensates you for a journey you actually took but that arrived late. A refund is for a ticket you never used at all. If you travelled and arrived late, claim Delay Repay. If the delay or cancellation meant you decided not to travel, you want a refund instead, and most operators waive the usual admin fee when the reason is disruption.
Cancellations are treated the same as delays for Delay Repay purposes: compensation is based on how late you actually arrived versus scheduled, not on whether that was caused by a running delay or a full cancellation. See how refunds work if you didn’t travel.
Bought through Trainline? You still claim from the operator
Trainline is a retailer, not a train operator, and it doesn’t pay Delay Repay compensation itself. It tracks your journey and can tell you when you become eligible, then hands you off to submit the actual claim on the operator’s own site. Whoever ran your delayed or cancelled train is who pays out, regardless of where you bought the ticket.
Decided not to travel because of the delay, rather than claiming compensation for a journey you took? Check your refund options or, if the ticket isn’t refundable, list it on SaveMyFare instead of letting it go to waste.
Common questions
What is Delay Repay?
Delay Repay is compensation for a journey you actually travelled on but that arrived late, due to a delay or cancellation. It's different from a refund, which is for a ticket you never used at all. How train ticket refunds work instead →
Who pays Delay Repay?
Whichever train operator ran your delayed or cancelled service, not National Rail centrally and not Trainline if that's who you bought the ticket from. National Rail sets the general framework operators work within; each operator handles and pays its own claims.
Which train companies in the UK offer Delay Repay?
All the major ones do. See the full list and which three run the older 30-minute threshold above.
How much Delay Repay compensation can I claim?
Under the standard scheme, 25% of a single fare for a 15 to 29 minute delay, 50% for 30 to 59 minutes, and 100% for an hour or more. Three operators use an older scheme starting at 30 minutes instead of 15. Select your operator above for the exact tiers that apply to you.
Is Delay Repay 15 minutes for every train operator?
No. LNER, CrossCountry and ScotRail still use a 30-minute threshold rather than the 15-minute standard most other operators adopted. This is a genuine difference between operators, not a rounding error, so it's worth checking which scheme your specific operator runs.
How do I claim Delay Repay if I bought my ticket through Trainline?
Trainline tracks your journey and can tell you when you become eligible, but it doesn't pay compensation itself. You're handed off to submit the actual claim on the train operator's own site, since the operator that ran your delayed or cancelled train is who pays out, regardless of where you bought the ticket.
How many days do I have to claim Delay Repay?
28 days from the date of travel, consistently across every operator checked.
Does Delay Repay apply if my train was cancelled, not just delayed?
Yes. Compensation is based on how late you actually arrived compared to schedule, whether that was caused by a running delay, a part-cancellation, or a full cancellation. Some operators exclude delays caused by pre-announced planned engineering work.
Which train company do I claim Delay Repay from if I changed trains?
Whichever operator caused your first delay, or made you miss a connection, not necessarily the one you bought your ticket from or travelled with for most of the journey. If your onward train was also late for unrelated reasons, that's a separate claim to whoever operates it.
Can I claim for a taxi or replacement ticket, not just the standard percentage?
Sometimes, as a separate claim from the standard Delay Repay percentage. If a delay forced you to pay for a taxi or buy a replacement ticket to complete your journey, some operators will consider reimbursing that on top of the usual compensation, generally decided case by case rather than through the same automatic claim form.
My train was 45 minutes late, can I claim Delay Repay?
Yes. A 45-minute delay falls in the 30-to-59-minute tier on both the standard scheme and the older 30-minute-threshold operators, which pay the same amount at that tier: 50% of a single fare, or 25% of a return on the standard scheme.
Can I claim Delay Repay on any ticket type, including an open return?
Yes. Ticket type doesn't affect whether you're eligible, only how the compensation is calculated. An Advance, Off-Peak, Anytime or open return ticket can all claim Delay Repay if the delay meets the threshold; a return is compensated per leg rather than as one combined fare.