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Home > Train tickets > Single & Return tickets > Compensation for delays

Compensation for delays

We work had to run a punctual train service and occasionally, we may experience some delays.

If your journey with us is delayed, you may be able to claim compensation. This page outlines our compensation arrangements in accordance with our Passenger's Charter.

 

Anytime, Off Peak, Super Off Peak, Advance and Weekly season tickets

We will compensate you if:

  • Your journey with us was delayed by 60 minutes or more (30 minutes or more on Island Line Trains).
  • The delay to your journey was within our control.

 

The amount of compensation is:

  • Single tickets: The full cost of a single ticket for your journey on our services.
  • Return tickets: Half the cost of a return ticket for your journey on our services.
  • Weekly season tickets: The full cost of a single ticket (i.e. one-tenth of the price paid) for your journey on our services.

 

We will not compensate you:

  • If we informed you of a delay or cancellation before you purchased your ticket.
  • If we have published an amended timetable or introduce an emergency timetable. (Any claims for compensation will be based on the amended or emergency timetable.)
  • For delays beyond our control, which includes: security alerts, poor weather conditions, fatality or suicide, or vandalism.
  • Any consequential losses due to a delay or cancellation of our services.
  • If your ticket expired more than 28 days ago.

 

How to claim

You will need to send your tickets to our Customer Service Centre with details of your delayed journey.

Compensation will be in the form of National Rail vouchers which can be used in full, or part payment, of tickets for your next journey, including season tickets. National Rail vouchers can be used for any rail journey, even if it is with another train company. You cannot use them to buy tickets from a self-service ticket machine, from a website or through telesales.

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Monthly or longer, including Annual season tickets

There are two types of compensation available for holders of Monthly or longer season tickets.

  • Passenger's Charter: This is where we have failed to meet our Passenger's Charter commitments for punctuality and/or train service reliability over the last 12 months.
  • Void Period: This is where peak period trains (those arriving at Waterloo between 0700 and 0959; and departing between 1600 and 1859, Monday to Friday only) have been severley disrupted for a specific service group.

 

The amount of compensation is:

  • Passenger's Charter: We will give you a 5% discount on the price of your season ticket renewal if, on average, over the last 12 months, our punctuality has been more than 2.5% below or Passenger's Charter standard; or if our reliability has been more than 1% (or 0.75% for Island Line Trains) below our Passenger's Charter standard. We will give you a 10% discount if we do not achieve our Passenger's Charter standards for both reliability and punctuality.
  • Void Period: The full cost of a single ticket, proportionate to the length of your season ticket, for each half-day Void Period. The number of Void Periods for the last 12 months is available on our Performance page.

 

We will not compensate you:

  • For our Passenger's Charter discount if your season ticket renewal is for travel on an alternative route, a longer distance, a longer ticket validity or you are changing from Standard to First Class.
  • If you purchased a Travelcard (either a 'paper' ticket or Oyster card) from a non-South West Trains outlet. We will consider your claim if you have proof that you use our services for all, or part, of your journey (e.g. a home or work address close to a station we serve, and details of the journey you make).
  • If your journey involves travel on another train company's services - you will only be able to claim compensation from one train company per season ticket.
  • If your season ticket expired more than 28 days ago.

 

How to claim

To claim Passenger's Charter and/or Void Period compensation, you must renew your season ticket within 28 days of the previous ticket expiring. Your new season ticket must be for the same journey and the same ticket validity.

If your season ticket was purchased at one of our stations, they can process your Passenger's Charter and/or Void Period compensation when you renew your season ticket.

If you purchased your ticket through telesales or online (including our website), you will need to apply in writing to our Customer Service Centre. Our Customer Service Centre can also renew your season ticket for you if you allow 5 working days for delivery.

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