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The Short Answer
| What | Under Delay Repay? | Where to ask |
|---|---|---|
| The delay itself | Yes | Delay Repay, from the company that delayed you |
| Taxi or Uber you paid for | No | The train company's customer relations team |
| Hotel you paid for | No | The train company's customer relations team |
| Missed flight, event or work | No | Customer relations, or your travel insurance |
| A journey you didn't make | No | A refund from whoever sold the ticket |
Delay Repay is a share of the fare you paid, based on how late you reached your destination: see How Much Delay Repay Will I Get?. For other costs, the National Rail Conditions of Travel say that under the industry arrangements you can recover up to the price of your ticket, and more only at the train company's discretion (condition 32.2).
Taxis, Hotels and Other Travel
Can I claim for a taxi if my train is cancelled?
Not under Delay Repay, but you can ask the train company. Ask staff first: the company should arrange onward travel where it reasonably can (condition 28.2). GWR, ScotRail, Hull Trains and Lumo say they pay reasonable costs when they didn't arrange it; most others decide case by case. Keep the receipt.
Can I claim for an Uber?
The same as a taxi: ask the train company's customer relations team, with the app's receipt showing the time, pick-up, drop-off and fare.
Can I claim for a hotel if my train is cancelled?
If you can't finish your journey, the train company should find you somewhere to stay where it reasonably can (condition 28.2), so ask staff before booking. GWR, ScotRail, Hull Trains and Lumo say they pay reasonable costs for a hotel when they didn't arrange one; others decide case by case.
Can I claim for a bus?
A rail replacement bus is part of your journey: the delay is measured when it gets you there (condition 27.4). A bus fare you paid yourself is a request to customer relations.
Can I claim for parking?
Not under Delay Repay. You can ask customer relations, but no train company we checked says it pays for parking.
Missed Flights, Events and Work
Can I claim for a missed flight, appointment or event?
Not under Delay Repay. You can ask the train company, which may consider it in exceptional circumstances (condition 32.2), or make a claim under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which expects a service to be provided with reasonable care and skill (section 49). These are hard to win; travel insurance is usually the better route. Stansted Express says to claim taxis, hotels and flights on your travel insurance.
Can I claim for lost wages or time off work?
Not under Delay Repay. It's a loss you can ask the train company about, or claim under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, but you can't recover the same money twice (condition 32.1).
What each train company says about flights, and what to keep for your insurer: Train Delay Made You Miss a Flight.
Your Ticket and Your Journey
Can I claim Delay Repay if I didn't travel?
No, but you get a full refund with no admin fee from whoever sold you the ticket if you didn't travel because your train was cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, within 28 days (conditions 30.1 and 30.2). Advance tickets are included.
Can I claim Delay Repay if I took an earlier train?
Only if you still arrived later than your planned train was due. If you got there earlier, there's no delay. LNER says it doesn't pay when you take an earlier train after a cancellation.
Can I claim Delay Repay if I took a later train?
If your train was cancelled or late, the delay is measured against the train you planned to catch (condition 32.1). If you chose to go later, it's measured against the train you caught.
Can I claim Delay Repay on an Open Return, both ways?
Yes. Each delayed journey is its own claim. On Delay Repay 15, each pays a share of the whole Return: 12.5% from 15 minutes, 25% from 30, 50% from 60 and 100% from 120.
Can you claim Delay Repay twice?
Not for the same journey. One delayed journey is one claim, to the company that caused the delay (condition 32.1), and you can't recover the same money twice.
Can I claim Delay Repay for someone else?
The person who travelled claims on their own ticket. Great Northern, Thameslink, Southern and Gatwick Express accept a claim for someone else only in mitigating circumstances, such as travelling with children. Great Northern's form takes up to three claims at once.
Can I claim Delay Repay without a ticket?
You need proof of the ticket: an e-ticket, a booking confirmation, a photo of the paper ticket or a contactless or Oyster journey history. Southeastern wants a photo of the ticket you used, not a receipt.
Can I claim Delay Repay on a Railcard ticket?
Yes, on the discounted fare you paid. No claim form we checked asks for your Railcard number.
What Railhop Does
More detail: Train Cancelled and You Got a Taxi, Last Train Cancelled, Went Another Way, Train Terminated Early, Train Cancelled? What Are My Rights, Delay Repay for a Cancelled Train, Delay Repay with a Railcard and how Delay Repay works.
Related Questions
Sources
- National Rail Conditions of Travel (30 July 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49
- Rail Ombudsman
- Great Northern: Delay Repay
- GWR: Delay Repay
- LNER: Delay Repay
- ScotRail: 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.