National Rail says trains delayed due to ‘nationwide fault’ - how to claim compensation for delayed trains?

Rail passengers are facing disruption this morning (December 6) due to a fault with a radio system used by train drivers and signallers.

Network Rail said “There is a nationwide fault with the communication system used between train drivers and signallers. As a result, services across the National Rail network may be subject to disruption this morning.”

The operators most significantly impacted are the Elizabeth line, Northern and South Western Railway. ScotRail say their services are operating well, with some minor delays in places.

Getting a refund on an affected journey can depend on the operator you travelled with, but usually passengers are entitled to a refund of 25% of the cost of a single ticket if arrival at their destination is delayed by between 15 and 29 minutes. If they arrive between 30 and 59 minutes late, this goes up to 50%. A full single-ticket refund is entitled for delays of an hour, and a full return-ticket refund for more than two hours. This can be claimed up to 28 days after the date of travel.

Rail companies have complained that they're made to take the blame for delays outside of their control, like weather and infrastructure issues which are Network Rail's responsibility.

A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group representing train operators said they apologise to everyone affected, adding, “when train delays or cancellations do occur, it's important that customers know how to claim for compensation. We've taken steps to simplify this process, and the Office of Road and Rail Data confirms that 99.5% of all delay compensation claims were closed within 20 working days”.