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When you can claim
A cancellation counts as a delay. You can claim when all of these are true:
- The train was cancelled on the day, not taken out of the timetable beforehand.
- You were at the station, ready to travel, with a valid ticket or pay as you go card.
- You reached your destination later than the cancelled train was due, by at least the train company's minimum: 15 minutes for most, 30 for some, 60 for Grand Central.
- You claim within the time limit: 28 days from the journey at every train company we checked.
The delay is measured at your final destination, so a missed connection caused by the cancellation counts too (National Rail Conditions of Travel, conditions 32.1 and 33.1).
How much you get
You get a share of the fare for the journey, based on how late you arrived. The bands depend on which scheme the company runs:
| Scheme | 15 to 29 min | 30 to 59 min | 60 to 119 min | 120 min or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delay Repay 15 18 train companies, including Great Northern, Southern and GWR | 25% (12.5%) | 50% (25%) | 100% (50%) | 100% (100%) |
| Delay Repay 30 6 train companies, including LNER, CrossCountry and ScotRail | Nothing | 50% (25%) | 100% (50%) | 100% (100%) |
| TfL Service Delay Refund Elizabeth line, London Overground | Nothing | The single fare for the journey | ||
Railhop works this out for you: check your train and it shows how late it was, which band that is and what you're owed.
How to claim
- Check the cancelled train on Railhop. Tell Railhop where you were going and roughly when. It finds the train you planned to catch, shows that it was cancelled and works out what you can claim.
- Railhop fills in the train company's claim form. In the Railhop iPhone app, or with Railhop's browser extension on a computer, Railhop opens the claim form of the company that ran your train and fills it in for you, with your journey, your ticket and your details.
- Check it and press submit. You check the claim and press submit on the train company's own form, within 28 days of travelling. The train company pays you directly. Railhop never submits a claim for you.
Travel on the next train you can. You claim from the company that runs the train you were booked on, and Railhop picks it for you. The table below links to each company's guide.
Exceptions
Cancelled in advance
A train taken out of the timetable before the day, for example for planned engineering works, isn't counted as a cancellation. The delay is measured against the revised timetable. Train companies treat the timetable as settled at 22:00 the evening before.
You decided not to travel
Ask whoever sold you the ticket for a full refund, with no admin fee, within 28 days of the day you meant to travel. You can have a refund or Delay Repay, not both. Season Tickets have their own refund rules.
South Western Railway and Island Line
They work out the delay as if you caught the next available train from your origin, even if you took a later one. If a claim is rejected, appeal and tell them the route and times you actually travelled.
Companies that don't say
ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper and TfL don't say how they measure a cancelled train. Claim based on when you arrived, and check the result with them.
Evidence you need
- Your ticket: a photo of a paper ticket, the e-ticket, or the booking reference.
- Pay as you go: the journey from your TfL statement, showing where you touched in and out and the cost.
- The time of the cancelled train and the stations you were travelling between.
- When you arrived, if you know it. Train companies check this against their own records.
No claim form we checked asks for Railcard details.
Add your ticket in Railhop once: snap it in the app, or add it on the website, and Railhop attaches it to your claim where the form takes a file.
Cancelled trains: what each company pays
From the minimum delay below, using the bands in the table above.
| Train company | Scheme | Pays from | Cancellation measured by | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avanti West Coast | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| c2c | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Caledonian Sleeper | Delay Repay 30 | 30 min | Not stated | Guide |
| Chiltern Railways | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| CrossCountry | Delay Repay 30 | 30 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| East Midlands Railway | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Gatwick Express | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Great Northern | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Greater Anglia | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| GWR | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Hull Trains | Delay Repay 30 | 30 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| LNER | Delay Repay 30 | 30 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| London Northwestern Railway | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Lumo | Delay Repay 30 | 30 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Northern | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| ScotRail | Delay Repay 30 | 30 min | Not stated | Guide |
| South Western Railway | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | Next train from your origin | Guide |
| Southeastern | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Southern | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Stansted Express | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Thameslink | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| TransPennine Express | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| Transport for Wales | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
| West Midlands Railway | Delay Repay 15 | 15 min | When you arrived | Guide |
Questions
Can I claim if my train was cancelled in advance?
Usually not under Delay Repay. A train taken out of the timetable before the day isn't counted as a cancellation, and delays are measured against the revised timetable. If you chose not to travel because of the change, you can usually get a full refund.
Can I get a refund and Delay Repay?
No, one or the other. If you still travelled, claim Delay Repay. If you didn't, ask for a refund.
The cancellation made me miss a connection. Can I claim?
Yes. The delay is measured at your final destination, so the time lost waiting for the next connection counts.
How long do I have to claim?
28 days from the journey at every train company we checked. Railhop shows the claim-by date for every delay it finds, and the app reminds you 3 days before it runs out.
I paid by contactless. Can I still claim?
Yes. Use the journey on your TfL statement as evidence. Add your statement to Railhop and it finds the delays for you.
Sources
- National Rail Conditions of Travel (30 July 2026)
- Great Northern: Delay Repay
- LNER: Delay Repay
- ScotRail: Delay Repay
- South Western Railway: Delay Repay
- TfL: service delay refunds
Train company terms checked 6 October 2026. Terms change: if something here doesn't match the train company's own page, the company's page is right. Tell us and we'll fix it. Railhop fills in the train company's own claim form, and you check it and submit it yourself. Railhop is not affiliated with any train company, TfL or National Rail.