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How much South Western Railway pays
South Western Railway uses Delay Repay 15: from 15 minutes late at your destination, it pays back 25% to 100% of the fare for the journey.
| Late by | Single | Return |
|---|---|---|
| 15 to 29 min | 25% | 12.5% |
| 30 to 59 min | 50% | 25% |
| 60 to 119 min | 100% | 50% |
| 2 hours or more | 100% | 100% |
Season ticket compensation for a delayed journey is never more than the cost of two single journeys.
More in Delay Repay with a Season Ticket. On a Railcard or Advance ticket, the bands apply to the price you paid: see Delay Repay with a Railcard and Delay Repay on an Advance ticket.
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 South Western Railway Delay Repay
- Check your train on Railhop. Tell Railhop where you travelled and roughly when. It finds your South Western Railway train, how late it really was from National Rail's data, and what you're owed: South Western Railway pays from 15 minutes late.
- Railhop fills in South Western Railway's claim form. In the Railhop iPhone app, or with Railhop's browser extension on a computer, Railhop opens South Western Railway's own claim form and fills it in for you, with your journey, your ticket and your details. South Western Railway's form needs an account: you sign in yourself, and Railhop never keeps your login.
- Check it and press submit. You check the claim and press submit on South Western Railway's own form, within 28 days of travelling. You choose how to be paid: bank transfer (BACS), a credit or debit card (Visa or Mastercard), National Rail vouchers, or a donation to Action for Children. South Western Railway pays you directly. Railhop never submits a claim for you.
South Western Railway has automatic Delay Repay for some tickets: see below. For everything else, Railhop fills in the form.
Used Delay Repay Sniper? Railhop is the modern way to claim: it finds your delays and fills in the form, and you stay in control of the claim. Read what happened to Delay Repay Sniper.
Cancelled South Western Railway trains
South Western Railway works out the delay as if you caught the next available train from your origin to your destination, even if you took a later one. If your train is cancelled, you can use your ticket on the listed other operators (including Thameslink, Southern, CrossCountry and GWR) within two hours before or after it, and still claim Delay Repay if that train arrives late.
If you decide not to travel, ask whoever sold you the ticket for a full refund, with no admin fee. You can have a refund or Delay Repay, not both. More in Delay Repay for a cancelled train.
Strike days and replacement buses have their own rules: see Delay Repay on strike days and Delay Repay on a rail replacement bus.
Check the cancelled train on Railhop: it shows the cancellation, works out what you can claim and fills in South Western Railway's form for you.
Contactless and Oyster on South Western Railway
Oyster and contactless pay as you go are covered and treated as single tickets: send your registered TfL Oyster or contactless statement showing the journey, where you touched in and out and the cost. Images of bank cards, and card statements that don't show the time of travel, are not accepted.
More in Delay Repay with contactless and Oyster. Add your TfL statement and Railhop checks every journey on it, finds the delays you can claim for and fills in South Western Railway's form for each.
South Western Railway Delay Repay form and login
You claim on South Western Railway's own Delay Repay form, which runs on the SmartRepay claim system. Railhop opens it and fills it in for you in the Railhop iPhone app, or with Railhop's browser extension on a computer: your details, the journey, the delay and your ticket. South Western Railway's form needs an account: you sign in yourself, and Railhop never keeps your login. You check the claim and press submit yourself.
Proof of travel
South Western Railway accepts these, depending on your ticket:
- A clear photo or scan of your paper ticket showing all the details and any barcode.
- For an eTicket, the booking confirmation showing the booking reference and price paid.
- Your Touch Smartcard number.
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.
Automatic Delay Repay on South Western Railway
Auto Delay Repay creates claims from your Touch Smartcard taps, so it only works if you tap in and out. If your train was cancelled and you hadn't tapped in before its departure time, make a manual claim.
For tickets the automatic scheme doesn't cover, check your train on Railhop and it fills in South Western Railway's form for you.
How South Western Railway pays, and how long it takes
You choose when you claim: bank transfer (BACS), a credit or debit card (Visa or Mastercard), National Rail vouchers, or a donation to Action for Children. The National Rail Conditions of Travel say a claim should be paid within 14 days of being agreed. More in how long Delay Repay takes. South Western Railway pays you directly, and Railhop keeps the claim reference for each claim you make, so it's easy to follow up.
Split tickets
You can use two or more tickets for one journey (the National Rail Conditions of Travel, condition 14.2), and the delay is still measured at your destination. More in Delay Repay on split tickets. Railhop checks the whole journey and measures the delay at your destination.
If South Western Railway rejects your claim
Ask South Western Railway to look at it again, with your evidence: the train, the times and your ticket. If you're still unhappy after South Western Railway has replied, you can take it to the Rail Ombudsman. More in what to do if a Delay Repay claim is rejected. Railhop's claims use the train's real times from National Rail's data, so they match what the train company sees.
About South Western Railway
South Western Railway runs trains from London Waterloo to Surrey, Hampshire, Dorset and beyond, including Woking, Southampton, Portsmouth, Bournemouth and Exeter, and also runs Island Line on the Isle of Wight.
South Western Railway is run by South Western Railway Limited, managed by DfT Operator, and has been in public ownership since 25 May 2025.
Good to know on South Western Railway
- Delay Repay doesn't cover extra costs. If SWR authorised you to arrange a taxi, reasonable station-to-station costs are paid; otherwise taxi claims are reviewed case by case. Use the Taxi Claim form within 28 days, with your ticket and a full taxi receipt.
- If you claim by post, you can only be paid by cheque or rail travel vouchers.
- On a journey with more than one operator, claim from the operator that caused the first delay. If you send it to SWR by mistake, SWR forwards it and tells you.
Questions about South Western Railway Delay Repay
How do I claim South Western Railway Delay Repay?
Check your train on Railhop: it finds how late it was and what you're owed, then fills in South Western Railway's own claim form in the Railhop iPhone app, or with Railhop's browser extension on a computer, with your journey, ticket and details. You check it and press submit within 28 days of travelling, and South Western Railway pays you.
How much Delay Repay does South Western Railway pay?
South Western Railway uses Delay Repay 15, from 15 minutes late at your destination. On a single ticket you get 25% of the fare for 15–29 minutes, 50% for 30–59 minutes, 100% for 60–119 minutes and 100% for 2 hours or more. On a return ticket: 12.5%, 25%, 50% and 100% of the return fare. Railhop works out the amount for your train.
How long do I have to claim South Western Railway Delay Repay?
28 days from the date of the delayed journey. Railhop shows the claim-by date for every delay it finds, and the app reminds you 3 days before it runs out.
How does South Western Railway work out my delay if my train is cancelled?
SWR assesses your claim as if you caught the next available train from your origin to your destination. If that gets you there 15 minutes or more late, you can claim. If your claim is rejected, appeal and tell SWR the route and times you actually travelled.
Can Railhop fill in the South Western Railway Delay Repay form for me?
Yes, in the Railhop iPhone app, or with Railhop's browser extension on a computer. Railhop opens South Western Railway's own claim form and fills in your details, the journey, the delay and your ticket. You choose how to be paid, check the claim and press submit: Railhop never submits claims or sees your bank details.
Can I claim South Western Railway Delay Repay if my train was cancelled?
Yes, if you still travelled. South Western Railway works out the delay as if you caught the next available train from your origin to your destination, even if you took a later one. If you decided not to travel, ask whoever sold you the ticket for a full refund instead: you can have one or the other, not both. Check the cancelled train on Railhop and it works out what you can claim.
Do I need an account to claim South Western Railway Delay Repay?
South Western Railway's form needs an account: you sign in yourself, and Railhop never keeps your login. Railhop fills in the rest of the form for you.
How does South Western Railway pay Delay Repay?
You choose when you claim: bank transfer (BACS), a credit or debit card (Visa or Mastercard), National Rail vouchers, or a donation to Action for Children. The National Rail Conditions of Travel say a claim should be paid within 14 days of being agreed.
What can I do if South Western Railway rejects my Delay Repay claim?
Ask South Western Railway to look at it again, with your evidence: the train, the times and your ticket. Railhop has the train's real times from National Rail's data. If you're still unhappy after South Western Railway has replied, you can take it to the Rail Ombudsman.
Sources
- South Western Railway: Delay Repay
- South Western Railway: Passenger's Charter (April 2026)
- South Western Railway: claiming during disruption
- South Western Railway: cancelled trains
- South Western Railway: Delay Repay claim form (payment options)
- GOV.UK: South Western Railway services transferred to public ownership
Delay Repay guides for other train companies.
Terms change. If something here doesn't match South Western Railway's own terms, South Western Railway's terms are right. Railhop fills in South Western Railway's claim form for you, and you check it and submit it yourself. Railhop is not affiliated with South Western Railway or National Rail.