News story: ‘Delay Repay 15’ secured for GWR passengers

  • improved compensation for delays and cancellations set to launch in spring, benefitting passengers with single, return and weekly tickets
  • monthly and longer season ticket holders to remain on current compensation scheme for time being

Great Western Railway (GWR) passengers will soon be able to benefit from improved compensation for delays, Rail Minister Andrew Jones announced today (12 March 2019).

The launch of Delay Repay 15 (DR15) on the franchise, due on 1 April (2019), will enable passengers holding single, return or weekly tickets to claim money back for when services are cancelled or their journey is delayed by 15 minutes or more, whatever the cause.

Currently, services need to be delayed by at least 30 minutes on Great Western Railway services for compensation to be paid. However, DR15, which is being rolled out across the country, will allow passengers to claim back compensation worth 25% of the single fare for delays of between 15 and 29 minutes to their journey.

Monthly and longer season ticket holders will remain on their existing compensation scheme for the time being as this provides compensation through season ticket discounts.

Rail Minister Andrew Jones said:

Reliability is our top priority but it is right that when things go wrong, people are compensated fairly and quickly.

Now, with the launch of DR15 on GWR, even more passengers will be entitled to claim if their services are delayed.

Passengers on GWR make an estimated 105 million journeys every year. This announcement coincides with the biggest upgrade of the Great Western route since Brunel started work on the line more than 175 years ago.

More than £5 billion is being invested in the Great Western route – including £2.8 billion on electrification – to deliver better services and new trains with thousands more seats.

Mark Hopwood, Managing Director at GWR, said:

We do all we can to get people to their destinations on time, but when things do go wrong customers need to trust in a fair system that easily compensates them for the delay.

The introduction of Delay Repay is just that, and has been a key aspiration of GWR for some time. Alongside the introduction of new trains, and modernised infrastructure, I am delighted that we are able to continue to make the improvements we know our passengers want to see.