SWR Delay Repay: How to claim compensation for late South Western trains

SWR Delay Repay is a commitment by South Western Railway to compensate passengers for trains that are delayed or cancelled. If you arrive 15 or more minutes late at your destination, you can claim SWR Delay Repay, as part of a national scheme that makes it easier to get compensation for delayed journeys.

With SWR, passengers who experience a delay longer than 15 minutes are entitled to receive a refund on a percentage of their ticket cost, which will vary according to the length of the delay. To work out the exact compensation due, SWR compares the difference between timetables and actual data on arrival times. Your South Western Railway refund will also depend on factors like the cost of your original ticket and the type of ticket you are travelling with.

Applying for SWR Delay Repay is flexible and convenient, and you will have the choice between submitting an online or paper form, and your preferred method of compensation. To submit a Delay Repay claim with SWR, passengers have 28 days from the date of travel.

To make an SWR Delay Repay claim, simply visit this page and follow the instructions that will guide you through all the key information you need to provide. These include length of delay, ticket type, date of travel and how you would like to be reimbursed.

If you ever want to claim again in future, SWR will remember your details, how you want to be paid and your Season Ticket details (if appropriate), meaning the process will be even quicker the second time around.

Alternatively, if you prefer to submit your claim by post, it is possible to download a paper form or pick one up at any SWR staffed station. Follow the instructions on the form and return it to the address on the form, along with your supporting documents.

Options for your refund if you submit your claim online include BACS payment, credit or debit and a charity donation. For those claiming by post, SWR can pay your compensation by cheque or National Rail travel vouchers.

If you have any questions or are unsure if you might be eligible for South Western Railway Delay Repay, it is best to get in touch with SWR directly. Or feel free to find a member of staff at an SWR help desk at any SWR station.

Note: all SWR Delay Repay claims are processed by the operator, not Trip.com.

SWR Delay Repay compensates travellers who arrive 15 or more minutes late at their destination, broken down as follows:

If you're travelling with a Season Ticket, your Delay Repay compensation is a little different. First, it is necessary to calculate the proportionate amount of the ticket that should receive compensation, as follows:

• Weekly ticket: 1/10th of the ticket price
• Flexi Season ticket: 1/16th of the ticket price
• Monthly ticket: 1/40th of the ticket price
• Annual ticket: 1/464th of the ticket price

Then the table above can be used to calculate the amount due. For example, a Weekly Ticket costing £160 will be entitled to a £8.00 refund if delayed by 30-59 minutes (50% of one-tenth of your total ticket price).

Photo by Chris Farleyson

In a word… yes! To provide transparency about its Delay Repay scheme, South Western Railway publishes the number of claims received and the percentage approved on its website. You can consult the full figures, dating back to 2022, here: SWR Delay Repay website.

Here is a short breakdown of some recent periods:

Taking a look at the SWR Delay Repay stats should reassure travellers that the operator does deliver on its promise to compensate delays of 15 or more minutes. It is clear that SWR is paying the majority of claimants, and processing claims quickly and efficiently.

Like all train operators, South Western Railway follows national guidelines in how it handles Delay Repay claims. The operator investigates every Delay Repay claim and, if it ultimately decides to decline an application, it always provides an explanation.

Common reasons for an unsuccessful claim include:

• You have provided incorrect journey information, including cases where claims are for a journey that was not possible
• Your ticket was not valid for the journey you claimed
• The claim was a duplicate, or your ticket had already been used for a claim
• The delay was less than 15 minutes
• Your claim was submitted more than 28 days after the journey
• The delay occurred with a different train operator (in these instances, SWR will forward your claim to the train operator responsible for the delay)
• You have exceeded the maximum compensation payable for a day’s travel

If you think your claim was wrongly declined, you can appeal SWR’s decision by clicking on the link in the email you received and following the instructions. South Western Railway will then re-open your case and get back in touch with a further decision.

If anything is still unclear or you have other questions relating to an SWR Delay Repay case, feel free to contact SWR here.

To claim SWR Delay Repay, you must have completed your journey with South Western Railway and arrived 15 minutes or more late. This means that, if you experienced disruption and chose NOT to travel, you cannot submit a Delay Repay application. In these cases, you might still be able to get a South Western Railway refund, but you will need to get in touch with your ticket retailer to do so.

• Submit your South Western Railway Delay Repay claim within 28 days of your journey.
• Check if planned engineering works may have impacted the timetables on your day of travel.
• Provide the details of your original planned journey with SWR, not the route you ended up taking after any disruptions.
• Check all the details you are providing very carefully, as a small mistake in the dates or costs of your ticket can lead to you being denied compensation.
• Attach or upload a high-resolution scan or photograph of your ticket(s) and passes so that SWR can verify you had a valid ticket.

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