- How does Grand Central Delay Repay work?
- How to claim Grand Central Delay Repay
- How much will I be compensated by Grand Central Delay Repay?
- Why was my Grand Central Delay Repay claim declined?
- Should I get Delay Repay compensation or a Refund?
- Things to look out for when claiming Delay Repay with Grand Central
- Other useful Grand Central pages
In the UK, rail passengers have the right to compensation if their train journey is delayed beyond a specified time period. In recent years, Grand Central has launched a new Charter Compensation system for travellers delayed by at least 60 minutes to claim a partial or full refund. This guide will explain the details of Grand Central Delay Repay and how passengers can make use of it.
Photo by Hugh Llewelyn
How does Grand Central Delay Repay work?
Grand Central Delay Repay is a scheme that provides compensation to passengers on trains that arrive late to their destination. Under Grand Central’s Passenger Charter and National Rail Conditions of Travel, passengers who are delayed by 60 minutes or more on any Grand Central service can submit a claim for Charter Compensation.
All train operators have a Delay Repay scheme, as National Rail dictates that operating companies are responsible for compensating travellers if their services are delayed or cancelled.
The total amount of compensation due to Grand Central passengers depends on the total length of your delay and the type and cost of your ticket. Passengers have up to 28 days after the date of travel to make a Grand Central Delay Repay claim, and it will be necessary to provide all relevant information about your tickets when making a claim. If you are claiming compensation for multiple passengers, you will also have to provide details of your fellow passengers for audit purposes.
Grand Central pledges that most claims will be resolved within 10 working days, and all should receive a response within 20 working days.
How to claim Grand Central Delay Repay
To make a Grand Central Delay Repay claim, visit Grand Central’s Charter Compensation system. Here, you’ll be prompted to log into your account, fill in all the relevant information about your journey, including the length of delay and ticket type, the date of travel, and how you would like to be reimbursed.
If you prefer to submit your claim by post, it is possible to download Grand Central’s Compensation claim form (PDF) and post it, along with all tickets and supporting documents, to the following address:
Customer Relations Manager
Grand Central Rail
Ground Floor, Wakefield Kirkgate Station,
Monk Street, Wakefield
WF1 4EL
Note: if it is possible to you, Grand Central recommends using the online system, as it will take considerably longer to resolve the query via postal form than by requesting it online. The rail operator also advises claimants to send postal claims by recorded delivery, as it does not accept liability for lost or damaged tickets/claims forms.
Options for your refund are payment by BACs or PayPal, or, in some cases, you may be eligible for a free single journey. Any passengers wishing to claim for Grand Central Delay Repay who have issues filling in the forms are urged to call the operator on 0345 603 4852 (option 4, then option 1) quoting your claim reference. All Grand Central Delay Repay claims are processed by the trainline, not with Trip.com.
How much will I be compensated by Grand Central Delay Repay?
If you make a valid Delay Repay claim with Grand Central, your compensation will depend on the length of your delay and your ticket type:
| Length of Delay | Single tickets | Return tickets |
| 1-2 hours | 50% | 25% |
| 2-3 hours | 75% | 37.5% |
| 3+ hours | 100% | 50% |
Grand Central does not currently offer Season Tickets.
Photo by Foulger Rail Photos
Why was my Grand Central Delay Repay claim declined?
If your Grand Central Delay Repay claim was unsuccessful, it could be because your journey claimed was not delayed by more than 60 minutes or because something was missing from your application.
To reduce the risks of getting a Grand Central Delay Repay claim rejected, avoid these common issues:
- Submitting your claim more than 28 days after the journey was completed
- Claiming for a journey for which Grand Central could not find a delay of more than 60 minutes
- Not providing sufficient proof of purchase to be able to verify your claim
- Attaching or uploading tickets that were not valid for the journey you claimed
- Claiming for a journey whose delay was caused by an operator other than Grand Central
If you’re still confused about whether you are entitled to make a Delay Repay claim with Grand Central, reach out to the Grand Central Customer Support Team here.
Should I get Delay Repay compensation or a Refund?
Rail passengers can get money back for delayed, disrupted, amended or cancelled trains in a number of ways. If you did not complete your journey due to a cancellation or delay, you might be eligible for a refund, which you will need to claim through the retailer from which you bought your ticket. On the other hand, if you completed your journey, Grand Central Delay Repay can be claimed only from the rail operator through its dedicated Charter Compensation system.
Things to look out for when claiming Delay Repay with Grand Central
- Make sure all the information in your claim is accurate, as any errors in the details (dates, times, costs) of your ticket could delay or deny your refund.
- Always upload a high-resolution scan or photograph of your ticket(s) and passes, so that Grand Central can clearly identify the relevant information needed to verify your claim.
- Check if planned engineering works on your day of travel could be the reason for any amendment to your journey.
On your Grand Central Delay Repay submission, remember to use the details of the journey you booked, not the journey you ended up taking.