With Thameslink Delay Repay, passengers on delayed services can get a full or partial refund, as per the Thameslink Passenger’s Charter. If you have travelled on a train that arrived at least 15 minutes late, you’ll want to read on to find out how much you could eligible to receive, how to claim and some common mistakes to avoid. Our guide will explain all the details of Thameslink Delay Repay and everything you need to know to submit your claim.
Photo by Train Photos
How does Thameslink Delay Repay work?
Delay Repay is a national scheme that puts the responsibility to compensate delayed passengers onto train operating companies. When travelling with Thameslink, any passenger who arrives 15 or more minutes late due to a delay or cancellation can make a Thameslink Delay Repay claim.
This means that you should be entitled to a refund on a percentage of the ticket cost, depending on the length of delay and your ticket type. To calculate the total compensation due, Thameslink uses scheduled timetables (or temporary timetables, where appropriate) to verify the length of your delay. Therefore, it is important to submit a Delay Repay claim only after arriving at your destination.
When claiming for Thameslink Delay Repay, you will need to apply within 28 days of your delayed journey. Thameslink will then respond to your claim within 20 working days (usually you will hear back within five days).
How to claim Thameslink Delay Repay
Simply fill in your journey and personal details, upload a scan of your tickets or other documents and Thameslink will do the rest! Additionally, you will have the option to create an online account, so that Thameslink can store your personal information, Season Ticket details (if relevant) and repayment preferences to save you time in future.
Options for reimbursement when claiming online with Thameslink include:
- Amazon account balance
- Electronic bank transfer (BACS)
- E-voucher
- PayPal
- Credit or debit card (excludes Mastercard and AMEX)
- National Rail vouchers (cashable)
- Charity donation
If you prefer to submit a claim by post, you can download and print a Thameslink Delay Repay form here, and follow the instructions on the form. Postal claims have a smaller range of available repayment options; also be sure to choose your repayment option carefully, as it cannot be changed after your claim has been submitted.
Alternatively, speak to a member of staff at a Thameslink help desk at any Thameslink staffed station. If you still have questions about how to claim compensation for a delayed train, you can get in touch with Thameslink here.
Note: all compensation requests are processed by the train operator you travel with, not with Trip.com.
How much will I be compensated by Thameslink Delay Repay?
Thameslink Delay Repay compensates travellers who arrive 15 or more minutes late at their destination, with the compensation due calculated as follows:
| Length of Delay | Single tickets | Return tickets | Season tickets (% cost of a journey) |
| 15-29 minutes | 25% | 12.5% | 25% |
| 30-59 minutes | 50% | 25% | 50% |
| 60-119 minutes | 100% | 50% | 100% |
| Over 120 minutes | 100% | 100% | 200% |
So, for example, if you are 45 minutes delayed and are travelling with a single ticket that cost £25, you will be entitled to a 50% refund with Thameslink Delay Repay. That means you will get compensation of £12.50.
Thameslink Delay Repay for Season Ticket holders
For Season Ticket holders, the Thameslink Delay Repay due is calculated as a proportion of the overall ticket price.
In other words, the value of each single journey needs to be taken into account. Each journey is given a different value based on your Season Ticket type:
- Annual season ticket = 464 single journeys
- Six-monthly season ticket = 240 single journeys
- Quarterly season ticket = 120 single journeys
- Monthly season ticket = 40 single journeys
- Flexi season ticket = 16 single journeys
- Weekly season ticket = 10 single journeys
For example, a passenger with a Flexi Season Ticket costing £320 will be entitled to a £20 refund if delayed by 60 minutes (100% of 1/16th of the total ticket price).
Does Thameslink deliver on its Delay Repay promise?
To find out if Thameslink delivers on its Delay Repay promises, passengers can consult detailed statistics on the number of claims Thameslink receives and how many claims it approves.
The following table breaks down some recent periods (you can see more detailed figures here: Delay Repay Stats):
| Period | Volume of claims received | Number of claims approved | Total value of compensation paid per period | Average time for a claim to be processed (days) |
| 15/09/2024 - 12/10/2024 | 49,659 | 40,846 | £308,753.90 | 2.9 |
| 13/10/2024 - 09/11/2024 | 32,276 | 27,850 | £213,074.10 | 2.3 |
| 10/11/2024 - 07/12/2024 | 52,183 | 40,775 | £256,361.70 | 2.2 |
| 08/12/2024 - 04/01/2025 | 33,194 | 29,820 | £216,904.30 | 2.6 |
For travellers concerned about the reliability of Thameslink Delay Repay, these numbers should help ease any worries. With a high percentage of claims approved and rapid processing, Thameslink operates an efficient and fair Delay Repay scheme.
Photo by ClemRutter
Why was my Thameslink Delay Repay claim declined?
In most cases, as the figures above show, Thameslink will grant compensation to Delay Repay claimants.
However, in a minority of cases, there are reasons why your claim may be declined or not processed. Helpfully, Thameslink will always include some justification for why it has rejected your claim when informing you of the outcome of your claim.
Here are some common reasons:
- Your ticket was not valid for the journey you are claiming for or you have already submitted an identical claim
- You have claimed for a service that was not scheduled to run on that date
- Your train was delayed by less than 15 minutes
- Your journey was delayed but this was caused by a different train operator
- You have already received the maximum compensation payable for a day’s travel.
Should I get Delay Repay compensation or a Refund?
A common misunderstanding about Delay Repay is that the scheme covers all delays and disruptions. You can only claim Thameslink Delay Repay if you have completed your journey (and arrived 15 or more minutes late).
This means that, if you experienced disruption on your journey and had to abandon it midway, or if you chose not to travel, you should not make a Delay Repay application. Instead, if you think you might be eligible for a refund, you should contact the retailer who sold you your ticket.
Things to look out for when claiming Delay Repay with Thameslink
- Every individual traveller must submit their own Delay Repay claim (exceptions exist for children and in other mitigating circumstances).
- Input the details of the journey you booked, not the journey you ended up taking (if these are different).
- Make your claim for Delay Repay compensation with the operator that caused the initial delay.
- Check if any planned engineering works on your day of travel might have caused the delay.
- Always upload a high-resolution scan or photograph of your tickets.
- Don’t rush your Thameslink Delay Repay application: check that all the information in your claim is accurate.