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What to Do Tonight
- Find staff. Under the National Rail Conditions of Travel, the train company will, where it reasonably can, provide another way to your destination or, if necessary, overnight accommodation (condition 28.2).
- Ask before you book anything. A taxi or room the company arranges costs you nothing. One you book yourself may or may not be repaid.
- Keep your ticket. If your ticket runs out during the delay, you can still finish the journey (condition 11.2), even after midnight.
- Note the details. The cancelled train, the time, who you spoke to and what they said.
Another company's last train may take your ticket: see ticket acceptance when your train is cancelled.
What Each Train Company Says
| Train company | When you can't get home | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| c2c | c2c says it provides a bus or taxi itself if it can't hold the last train. | Guide |
| CrossCountry | CrossCountry says that if your train is cancelled and the next one doesn't leave for more than 2 hours, it will provide other transport, normally to the nearest station where you can carry on. | Guide |
| East Midlands Railway | East Midlands Railway says that if it can't get you there by train, it will provide alternative travel to your destination or a suitable station, or overnight accommodation if necessary. | Guide |
| Gatwick Express | Gatwick Express's Passenger's Charter says: "If you miss the last train with us because of a delay or cancellation to one of our services, we will arrange onward transport either by road or with another train operator. If this is not possible, we will, if we reasonably can, provide overnight accommodation." | Guide |
| Great Northern | Great Northern's Passenger's Charter says: "If you miss the last train with us because of a delay or cancellation to one of our services, we will arrange onward transport either by road or with another train operator. If this is not possible, we will, if we reasonably can, provide overnight accommodation." | Guide |
| Greater Anglia | Greater Anglia says that when it can't get you to your destination in a reasonable time, it will arrange for you to get back to where you started and travel the next day, or provide overnight accommodation. | Guide |
| GWR | GWR says it aims to make the arrangements itself when a delay stops you finishing your journey. If it doesn't and you make them yourself, it pays your "reasonable and proportionate" costs for alternative travel, or a hotel where that is a reasonable step to take instead of finishing the journey. | Guide |
| Hull Trains | Hull Trains says it aims to make the arrangements itself when a delay or cancellation means you miss the last connection of the day or can't arrive at a reasonable time. If it doesn't and you make them yourself, it pays your "reasonable and proportionate" costs for alternative travel, or a hotel where that is a reasonable step to take instead of finishing the journey. | Guide |
| LNER | LNER says that when it can't get you to your destination at a reasonable time, it will arrange for you to get back to where you started, or another suitable place, and make sure you can travel the next day. | Guide |
| London Northwestern Railway | London Northwestern Railway says that if the next connecting train is more than 60 minutes after the one you missed because of a delay, it will arrange alternative transport where possible. | Guide |
| Lumo | Lumo says it aims to make the arrangements itself when a delay or cancellation means you miss the last connection of the day or can't arrive at a reasonable time with no public transport running. If it doesn't and you make them yourself, it pays your "reasonable and proportionate" costs for alternative travel, or a hotel where that is a reasonable step to take instead of finishing the journey. | Guide |
| ScotRail | ScotRail says it aims to make the arrangements itself when it can't get you to your destination. If it doesn't and you make them yourself, it pays your "reasonable and proportionate" costs for alternative travel, or a hotel where that is a reasonable step to take instead of finishing the journey. | Guide |
| South Western Railway | South Western Railway has a Taxi Claim form, which also covers a hotel its local team told you to find. Claim within 28 days, with your ticket and receipts. | Guide |
| Southeastern | Southeastern's charter says that if you miss your last train because of a delay to one of its services, it will arrange onward transport by road or with another train company, or overnight accommodation if that isn't possible. | Guide |
| Southern | Southern's Passenger's Charter says: "If you miss the last train with us because of a delay or cancellation to one of our services, we will arrange onward transport either by road or with another train operator. If this is not possible, we will, if we reasonably can, provide overnight accommodation." | Guide |
| Stansted Express | Stansted Express says other costs from a late or cancelled train, such as taxis, hotels and flights, should be claimed on your travel insurance. | Guide |
| Thameslink | Thameslink's Passenger's Charter says: "If you miss the last train with us because of a delay or cancellation to one of our services, we will arrange onward transport either by road or with another train operator. If this is not possible, we will, if we reasonably can, provide overnight accommodation." | Guide |
| TransPennine Express | TransPennine Express says that if a delay or cancellation means you miss the last connection of the day or can't arrive at a reasonable time, it will arrange transport back to where you started or on to your destination. | Guide |
Other companies' pages we checked don't add to the Conditions of Travel rule above.
If You Paid for a Taxi or Hotel
- GWR, ScotRail, Hull Trains and Lumo say they pay "reasonable and proportionate" costs for alternative travel, or a hotel where that is a reasonable step, when they didn't make the arrangements.
- South Western Railway pays reasonable costs for a taxi its staff authorised and a hotel its local team told you to find, through its Taxi Claim form within 28 days.
- Stansted Express says to claim taxis and hotels on your travel insurance.
- Everyone else decides case by case. Send your receipts to customer relations.
What each company says about a taxi: Train Cancelled and You Got a Taxi. Missed a flight as well: what you can claim for a missed flight. Other costs: what you can claim for when your train is late.
Delay Repay the Next Day
Claim for how late you reached your destination compared with when your train was due. A delay of 2 hours or more pays 100% of a Single, or of the whole Return, on Delay Repay 15 and Delay Repay 30 companies. Hull Trains and Lumo pay 100% of a Single from 60 minutes.
If you finished the journey the next morning, claim the full delay band. If your train was likely to be more than 60 minutes late, you may use your ticket on a later date, with comparable restrictions (condition 28.4). See also Delay Repay for a Missed Connection.
If You Gave Up and Went Home
If you couldn't finish the journey and went back to where you started, you get a full refund of your tickets for that journey with no admin fee, instead of Delay Repay (condition 30.1). Ask whoever sold you the ticket within 28 days. More in Train Cancelled? What Are My Rights.
What Railhop Does
More on how Delay Repay works and Delay Repay for a Cancelled Train.
Questions
What happens if the last train is cancelled?
Tell staff. The train company will, where it reasonably can, get you to your destination or find you somewhere to stay overnight. Great Northern, Thameslink, Southern, Gatwick Express and Southeastern say this in their charters for a missed last train.
Will the train company pay for a hotel?
If it can't get you home, it should arrange one where it reasonably can. If you book one yourself, GWR, ScotRail, Hull Trains and Lumo say they pay reasonable costs; others decide case by case.
Will they pay for a taxi home?
Ask staff first: a taxi the company books costs you nothing. If you pay yourself, see what your train company says in our taxi guide.
Can I use my ticket the next morning?
If your train was likely to be more than 60 minutes late, you may use your ticket on a later date, with comparable restrictions. Ask staff to confirm.
How much Delay Repay do I get if I arrive the next day?
The top band: on Delay Repay 15 and Delay Repay 30 companies, 2 hours or more late pays 100% of a Single or the whole Return.
I gave up and went home. What can I get back?
A full refund of the tickets for that journey, with no admin fee, from whoever sold them. Not Delay Repay as well.
Sources
- National Rail Conditions of Travel (30 July 2026)
- Great Northern: Delay Repay
- GWR: Delay Repay
- LNER: Delay Repay
- ScotRail: Delay Repay
- South Western Railway: Delay Repay
- Southeastern: Delay Repay
- Stansted Express: Delay Repay
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.