Home / The Old Fox's Penny Tips
Watch on YouTube
Premieres 29 October 2026 at 6pm UK time
The Old Fox's Penny Tips · Episode 2
Train Late? You Could Be Owed Money
Most train companies in Great Britain pay Delay Repay from 15 minutes late on many routes, claimed within 28 days. General information, not financial advice.
Watch on YouTube Follow on TikTok
Share this story
What the fox said
Was your train 15 minutes late? You may be owed money, and it's easy to forget to ask.
Most train companies in Great Britain run a scheme called Delay Repay.
On many routes, 15 minutes late gets you a quarter of a single fare back.
30 minutes, half the single fare. An hour or more, the whole single fare.
2 hours or more, and you may get the whole cost of a return ticket.
It's about how late you arrive, and it usually applies whatever caused the delay.
Claim on the train company's website within 28 days. Keep your ticket, or a photo of it.
Season ticket holders can usually claim too, for each delayed journey.
Some companies only start paying at 30 minutes, not fifteen. So check your train company's own rules.
And claim from the company that ran the delayed train, even if you bought your ticket somewhere else.
15 minutes on a cold platform can be worth something. Keep your nose to the wind.
General information, not financial advice. Check your own situation.
Sources
- Most train companies in Great Britain run Delay Repay, which typically pays 25% of a single fare for delays of 15–29 minutes, 50% for 30–59 minutes, 100% for 60–119 minutes, and the full return fare for 120 minutes or more (Delay Repay pages of Thameslink, West Midlands Railway, London Northwestern Railway and East Midlands Railway).
- Claims are usually made on the train company's website within 28 days of the journey; exact rules vary by operator.
- Most train companies have online claim forms and you'll probably need to upload a picture of your ticket; claim from the company that ran the train, which may not be the one you bought the ticket from (Citizens Advice, 'Getting a refund for a cancelled or delayed train').
- Delay Repay applies to season tickets, with compensation worked out per delayed journey; most companies now use either a 15- or 30-minute threshold (Transport Focus, 'Am I eligible for compensation if my train is delayed (including season tickets)?').
Spotted a mistake? Tell us in the YouTube comments and we'll correct it.