West Midlands Railway Delay Repay: How to claim compensation for late trains

West Midlands Railway says that “we dislike train delays as much as you do”. Under the company’s Passenger’s Charter, anyone travelling on a West Midlands Railway service that is delayed by 15 or more minutes with a valid ticket can claim compensation, regardless of the reason.

From the date of your delayed journey, you have a window of 28 days to submit a West Midlands Railway Delay Repay claim. If successful, you can expect to receive your compensation payment within 14 days of the claim being agreed.

The full amount you could get back through West Midlands Railway Delay Repay depends on the length of the delay and your ticket type. Reimbursement could come in the form of cash, National Rail vouchers, a charity donation or more; total compensation payable per day is 100% of the daily cost of your ticket.

Like all operators, West Midlands Railway will only process Delay Repay claims for which it is responsible, so if your initial delay was caused by another company, you should submit your application to them instead.

To make a West Midlands Railway Delay Repay claim, all you have to do is visit this page and provide all the key information about your journey, your personal details and how you would like to be compensated.

Alternatively, you can pick up a paper form at any West Midlands Railway staffed station (or download it here). Put the completed form in the post, addressed to: Freepost WEST MIDLANDS RAIL DELAY REPAY.

Claiming online is the most efficient way for West Midlands Railway to process your information. Additionally, you’ll have the option to create an account in case you ever want to claim again in future, saving you time and getting your refund faster.

Either way, all WMR Delay Repay claims must be made within 28 days of the delay. Options for your reimbursement include BACS payment, credit or debit and a charity donation.

If you have any questions it is best to get in touch with the operator directly, either by calling West Midlands Railway contact number on 0333 311 0039 or through an alternative method on this page. You could also speak to a member of staff at an WMR help desk at any West Midlands Railways staffed station.

Note: because Delay Repay issues are always dealt with by the relevant train operating company, please do not contact Trip.com about your West Midlands Railway Delay Repay claim.

How much will I be compensated by West Midlands Railway Delay Repay?

For delays of 15 minutes or more, London Northwestern Railway passengers are entitled to a refund on a portion or all of their ticket price. The exact amount you’ll get back varies according to the length of your delay and your type of ticket, as follows:

If you're travelling with a Season Ticket, your Delay Repay compensation is a little different because it is first necessary to calculate the proportionate value of one day’s travel.

Your travel cost is calculated by dividing the cost of your Season Ticket by:

• 7-Day Season Ticket: 5
• 4-Week Season Ticket: 20
• Monthly Season Ticket: 20
• Annual Season Ticket: 232

So, if you have a Monthly Season Ticket that cost £380 and want to claim for a delay of more than two hours, you will be entitled to 100% of 380 divided by 20 (i.e. a West Midlands Railway Delay Repay refund of £19).

Photo by davwheat

West Midlands Railway will always investigate in full every Delay Repay claim it receives, though claiming a refund does not guarantee that you will be compensated.

There are a few common reasons cited by operators for why some passengers may be denied a refund:

• Your journey was delayed by another operator. In these instances, your case will be passed along and dealt with by the operator responsible for your delay.
• Your journey was not delayed by 15 minutes or more.
• You input incorrect journey details, or claimed for a journey that you could not have taken.
• Your ticket was not valid for your journey, or you didn’t provide sufficient proof of purchase.
• You waited more than 28 days after the date of travel to submit your claim.

Can I appeal against my Delay Repay decision?

If you believe that West Midlands Railway has made a mistake in its response to your Delay Repay claim, you are within your rights to make an appeal.

To do so, you will need to get in touch with WMR, citing your claim reference and either the email address or postcode you used when your claim was submitted. Full details for customer service, including the West Midlands Railway contact number, can be found here.

Should I get Delay Repay compensation or a Refund?

West Midlands Railway operates its Delay Repay scheme in accordance with national guidelines, which state that passengers who have travelled on a WMR service and arrived more than 15 minutes after the scheduled arrival time are entitled to compensation. On the other hand, if you decided not to travel due to a disruption, you should instead seek a refund from the retailer where you bought your ticket. The key distinction for the purposes of West Midlands Railway Delay Repay is that you must have completed your journey to be eligible to make a claim.

• Journeys delayed by less than 15 minutes are not eligible for Delay Repay.
• If passengers are warned in advance that there will be a delay or there are amended timetables in operation, you will not be eligible for West Midlands Railway Delay Repay.
• Remember to upload a high-resolution scan or image of your ticket for travel, not a receipt. If you hold multiple tickets, take a photo of each ticket and upload these as one document.
• Your application form should reach West Midlands Railway within 28 days of the date of your delay.

Ensure you have input all the details of your journey and delay accurately, as failing to do so can result in a delay in processing your claim.