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Does TfL Give a Refund for a Strike?
No. TfL refunds a delay only when the cause was within its control, and it names strikes among the causes it doesn't refund, with security alerts, bad weather, engineering works and customer incidents.
TfL's Conditions of Carriage (8.2.7) go further: "Service delay refunds will be suspended during strike action." That applies to the Tube, DLR, London Overground and Elizabeth line, whether you paid by contactless or Oyster.
What If the Strike Made Your Journey Longer or Dearer?
There's no refund for that either. The same condition says: "If our train services are disrupted by strike action and your journey takes longer or you pay higher fares when taking an alternative route, refunds are not payable."
Can You Claim for a National Rail Train on a Strike Day?
Yes. Trains run by a train company, such as Thameslink, Southern, Southeastern or c2c, aren't covered by TfL's rules, even if you paid with contactless or Oyster. They pay Delay Repay, and a strike doesn't stop a claim on its own.
- A train in the strike timetable that runs late or is cancelled on the day counts like any other delay. National Rail says that if the delay meets the Delay Repay threshold because of industrial action, you're entitled to compensation.
- A train taken out of the strike timetable in advance isn't a cancellation, because the delay is measured against the timetable in place on the day (National Rail Conditions of Travel, condition 32.1).
A journey on a train and then the Tube is two claims on a normal day. On a TfL strike day only the train part can be claimed, if it was late enough. More in Delay Repay on strike days and Delay Repay with contactless and Oyster.
What About Season Tickets?
For a train company strike, National Rail says that if you have a Season Ticket that is monthly or longer and can't travel because a strike cancelled your service, you can claim 100% compensation for those days through Delay Repay. Each company's rules: Delay Repay on strike days.
For a TfL strike, TfL's Conditions of Carriage say refunds are not payable when its services are disrupted by strike action.
When Does TfL Refund a Delay?
On a day without a strike, TfL refunds a single fare when a Tube or DLR journey is 15 minutes or more late, or a London Overground or Elizabeth line journey 30 minutes or more, if the delay was within its control. Apply in your TfL account within 28 days: see TfL service delay refunds.
A missing tap-out is a different refund from a delay refund: see Forgot to tap out and all TfL refunds.
How Railhop Helps
Questions
Can I get a refund from TfL for a Tube strike?
No. TfL's Conditions of Carriage say service delay refunds are suspended during strike action, and TfL names strikes among the causes it doesn't refund.
Does TfL pay compensation if a strike makes my journey longer?
No. TfL's Conditions of Carriage say that if a strike makes your journey take longer, or you pay higher fares on an alternative route, refunds are not payable.
Are the Elizabeth line and London Overground covered on a strike day?
No. Both are run for TfL and use TfL's service delay refunds, which are suspended during strike action.
Can I claim Delay Repay on a National Rail train during a strike?
Yes, if the train got you to your destination late enough, measured against the strike timetable in place on the day. Railhop checks the train and fills in the train company's form.
Can I claim Delay Repay if I paid by contactless or Oyster?
Yes. A pay as you go journey on a National Rail train is covered by the train company's Delay Repay scheme, with your TfL journey history as evidence.
Sources
- TfL Conditions of Carriage
- TfL: service delay refunds
- TfL: Tube and DLR delays
- TfL: London Overground and Elizabeth line delays
- National Rail: industrial action, refunds and compensation
- National Rail Conditions of Travel (30 July 2026)
Terms change. If something here doesn't match TfL's own page, TfL's page is right. Tell us and we'll fix it. Railhop is independent and not affiliated with TfL. TfL refunds you directly; Railhop never handles the money.