Date: 21/02/2014

Train passengers are foregoing more than £100 million in compensation for delays and cancellations because they are kept in the dark by rail companies, a new report suggests. Three quarters of rail passengers are unaware of their rights while just one in ten regularly makes a claim when entitled and almost seven in ten have never done so. Simply putting information about refunds online in a long-winded “Passengers’ Charter” or supplying it only on request are “not sufficient to help consumers be aware of or exercise their rights,” the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) said. The watchdog, which is drawing up a code of practice for train operators on ticketing information, also criticised the fact most companies issue refunds as vouchers which can usually only be redeemed in person at a ticket office and not online. The latest available data on compensation paid to customers shows that in 2010-11, £10.2 million was claimed by passengers from just 11 train companies who provided figures about half of those operating in the UK. [From Mark Bartlett]

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Train passengers 'in dark' over delay compensation

Telegraph

Train passengers are missing out on tens of millions in compensation or refunds for cancellations and delays because they do not know they are entitled to it