Your rights if your train is cancelled or delayed

Your rights if your train is cancelled or delayed – how to get a refund if your service is affected

The extreme weather of the past few weeks, along with staff shortages, have meant many train services have been delayed or cancelled. And rail strikes in July and August will cause further disruption, despite ScotRail unveiling a full timetable on Wednesday.

During the heatwave, the speed of many trains had to be limited, causing further delays. Trackside fires added to the chaos.

Whether you are travelling locally or more widely in the UK, rail passengers are entitled to compensation if their train is cancelled or delayed. Most of this information is available on the website of your train operator.

Below, we give a summary of your rights. It's not an exhaustive list, as it's a complex area, so it's best to check with your train operator.

ScotRail services

ScotRail has a useful refunds page which tells passengers: if you were unable to travel by train due to disruption or service cancellation, you can request a refund or compensation depending on your ticket type. The standard refund administration charge of £10 will be waived.

There are different ways to get a refund, depending on the type of ticket you bought. For example, for an Anytime single or return, it gives the following advice:

Unused ScotRail tickets are refundable up to 28 days after expiry of the ticket.
If you purchased from the ScotRail website or app, please call 0344 811 0141 selecting ‘option 2’ for the Web Support team to discuss your refund or log into your MyScotRail account on our website to request a refund.
If you purchased from a station ticket office, please return there for a refund.

Check the website for more detailed advice. It also has links to online refund request forms.

Avanti West Coast

If you travelled further afield, for example on the West Coast Mainline into England, there is a page to help you. It tells you what to do to get a refund if your train was cancelled or delayed.

For example, if your train was cancelled, you can request a refund from your point of purchase within 28 days of the date of travel. You can fill out a cancelled train refund form and a member of Avanti’s team will be in contact.

You can also request a refund via the 'My Account' section of their site/app but an admin fee will apply if using this method. If you bought your ticket at a station, then head back there to request a refund.

Delays are different – if your overall journey was delayed for 15 minutes or more, make your Delay Repay claim using their online Delay Repay form.

Other operators

Overall, the advice from all train operators is to act quickly, go to their websites and fill in the relevant online forms. Significant refunds could be involved, so don't miss out.

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