Which UK train companies offer Delay Repay?

Lauren Ryan

Published: June 12, 2026

Which UK train companies offer Delay Repay?

If you’ve experienced a train delay or cancellation, you’ll want to find out as soon as possible what you can expect when it comes to claiming compensation. Do all companies offer Delay Repay, for example? Most UK train companies do offer Delay Repay, with a few exceptions and variations from company to company. In this guide, we’ll share all the companies that offer Delay Repay and the key differences you’ll find when it comes to claiming your compensation.

Major UK train companies with Delay Repay

Luckily, most National Rail operators participate in the Delay Repay scheme, so if you’ve been disrupted by a late train, you’ll typically be entitled to some form of compensation. Some of the participating train companies differ slightly in how they adhere to the scheme – the main difference being whether or not they offer compensation for delays of 15–29 minutes.

But even companies who don’t adhere to the Delay Repay scheme follow a similar compensation framework, so you’re not going to be left in the lurch.

The following train operating companies are part of the Delay Repay compensation programme:

Find out how much compensation you can get for a delayed train in our guide.

Key differences between train operators

As mentioned above, the fact that a company adheres to the Delay Repay scheme does not guarantee that it will process your compensation payout in the same way. Delay Repay standardises the legal payout percentages based on time lost across the country, but the actual mechanics of how you process a claim and how you are paid out vary – not to mention the disparity in the lowest threshold for compensation.

DR15 v DR30 – Delay Repay baseline compensation threshold

One of the main differences in how train companies apply the Delay Repay threshold is their lowest compensation bracket. While most companies adhere to the newer DR15 standard – 25% compensation for a delay of 15–29 minutes – there are several train operators who still use the older framework, DR30. This means with these companies, you won’t receive any compensation for delays of up to 29 minutes.

The following companies still apply the DR30 framework to their delay compensation payouts:

Claiming processes

Another difference between Delay Repay operators is how much effort is required to complete your claim. Some operators, like Southeastern, LNER and Avanti West Coast, offer Automated Delay Repay. When you book an Advance ticket directly through their app or website, you will automatically be sent a pre-populated claim form within 30 minutes. All you need to do is hit ‘Approve’, and the payout is triggered.

On the other hand, some more commuter-focused companies like Northern or Thameslink often require you to manually fill out a digital form, listing the exact train time, your destination, the delay length and an image of your ticket.

Payment options

Legally, all operators must offer a cash-equivalent payout option – such as a bank transfer – but the other options offered vary from company to company.

Some companies offer bank card reversal, PayPal, charity donations and National Rail vouchers.

A note on physical processing: If you opt to make your claim on paper rather than digitally, some operators – such as GWR – specify that paper claims can only be paid via cheque, travel voucher or charity donation.

What if your journey involved multiple train companies?

If your journey involves multiple train companies and you arrive at your destination late, you may be confused about whom to make your claim to. In general, whichever company caused the initial delay – i.e., the first company to cause you to arrive at your final destination later than 15 minutes – should receive your claim.

You should only file a single claim, and you cannot split a Delay Repay claim up. Whichever operator first knocked your schedule off track is responsible for compensating you for the entire ticket value, even if the later legs were with different operators. If your journey was not purchased in a single booking, you must provide evidence that you allowed for the official minimum connection times at each station.

Accumulated delays: What if multiple operators had small delays?

You take a journey with multiple train operators who each arrive slightly late but less than the standard minimum compensation time – e.g., company A arrives 12 minutes late, and company B arrives 8 minutes late – resulting in an accumulated delay. In this scenario, you are still entitled to compensation.

If you arrive at your final destination more than 15 minutes later than your scheduled arrival time (or 30 minutes for DR30 companies), you must send your claim to the first operator who caused a delay that snowballed into your accumulated delay – even if that company’s specific delay was less than 15 minutes.

Delays on combined TfL & National Rail journeys

If you book a journey that combines TfL and National Rail services – such as a Thameslink service from Brighton to Heathrow Airport with a London Underground transfer – and the Tube transfer causes a delay, you cannot file an automated claim.

This is because TfL does not participate in Delay Repay, meaning they will reject your claim, as will Thameslink – they do not track TfL timetables. You will have to file a manual customer service appeal with your retailer.

You can learn more about making a claim in our comprehensive Delay Repay guide.