train travel refunds

QuestionsAnswered.net

What's Your Question?

10 Scenic Train Trips Within the U.S.

Traveling by train is one of the most rewarding methods of travel, because not only is it relaxing but there’s so much beauty of the world to see and observe. Many train routes in the United States are designed for the sole purposes of sightseeing, offering many unforgettable views and experiences of a lifetime. Sightseeing railway ticket prices are generally affordable, making it a cost-effective solution to seeing more of the country without spending too much money doing so. Another advantage to scenic railway trains is that the often stop at major landmarks so you can get out and explore.

Cass Scenic Railroad

The Cass Scenic Railroad is located at Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in West Virginia. This trip is 11 miles long and travels to the highest point of Back Allegheny Mountain and some of the Bald Knob summit. This steam train travels to popular tourist attractions n the area, including the Company Store which is a gift shop, restaurant and museum. There are a few different scenic train rides you can take on the Cass Scenic Railroad including the Bald Knob trip, Wild Heart Connector, New Tygart, Cheat Mountain and the Polar Express. Since they are all difference durations and prices, it helps to look at the railway train schedule to determine what fits best for you. Railway train live status will allow you to see when it departs and when it arrives at the destination.

Grand Canyon Railway

The Grand Canyon Railway is a 65-mile adventure that takes a little over two hours each way. Before the train departs, you’ll get to see live entertainment from the Cataract Creek Gang and get to enjoy live music on the trip. When you are at the canyon, you’ll get to experience 277 miles of scenery with painted deserts, pine and fir forests, waterfalls, geological features and plateaus. These railway ticket prices vary, depending on your preferences for the car you want to reserve. You do get the options of different cars such as the Pullman Class, Coach Class, Full Class, Observation Dome, Luxury Dome and the Luxury Parlor.

California Zephyr

Amtrak’s California Zephyr is an unforgettable journey that travels a total of 2,438 and takes approximately 51 hours. This scenic railroad will take you coast to coast, starting on the New York to Chicago portion, changing trains in Chicago and then ending up on the Chicago to San Francisco portion. Some of the best highlights from this trip include Denver, Colorado, Salt Lake City, Utah and San Francisco, California. This railway seat availability depends on how you want to travel and how many people you’ll bring along. The railway train fare for this coast to coast trip will cost you less than $200 a person.

Great Smoky Mountains Railroad

In Western North Carolina you’ll find the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. It features two different routes, both allowing you to see breathtaking views of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Nantahala Gorge Excursion travels 44 miles over 4 and a half hours, travelling by the Nantahala and Tennessee Rivers and across the Trellis Bridge to the stunning Fontana Gorge. The other trip is the Tuckasegee River Excursion with is a 32-mile journey over the span of 4 hours and takes you through the Cowee Tunnel and past a movie set. You’ll have a one-hour layover in Dillsboro, where you can visit the various shops.

Alaska Railroads Coastal Classic

Alaska’s Coastal Classic Train travels to Seward across 114 miles and typically takes a little over four hours. It leaves early in the morning and allows passengers to get out and explore Seward for the day, returning to train in the evening. On this trip, you can also visit Anchorage or visit Kenai Fjords National Park. There are two types of railway seat availability, the Adventure Class or the GoldStar Dome and both offer exceptional dining options.

Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad

In Colorado you’ll get to journey on the historic Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge, which allows you to experience the beauty of the San Juan Mountains. You’ll get to journey from Durango, Colorado to Silverton, Colorado. There are two types of railway train tickets, the Mesa Verde Discovery Tour and the Historic Silverton Mining Tour. The Mesa Verde Discovery Tour takes you through the Mesa Verde National Park and the Silverton Mining Tour gives you the opportunity to explore the historic mines that are in San Juan County.

Cape Cod Central Railroad

The Cape Cod Coastal Excision is a three-hour journey that takes you along the canal at Pairpoint Glass along the Cape Cod Canal. Passengers will be able to get out and explore over 30 museums, watch glassblowers demonstrate their art and experience wildlife. Riders will get to visit Sandwich, which is the oldest village on the Cape and learn about the history of the area. There is a railway train time table that explains when the train departs and when it gets back, allowing you to plan accordingly.

Pullman Rail Journeys

The Pullman Rail Journeys goes from Chicago to New Orleans, departing Chicago in the evening and arriving in New Orleans the next afternoon. Railway ticket reservations includes the Roomette, Double Bedroom and the Master Bedroom and you can choose to book a one-way trip or a round trip. On this trip you’ll be able to enjoy modern conveniences such a Wi-Fi and power outlets.

Amtrak’s Adirondack

The Adirondack Tour goes from New York City through Hudson Valley and straight into Montreal. You’ll depart at Penn Station in New York in the Morning and arrive in Montreal in the evening. Some of the popular highlights from this trip include New York, New York, Lake Champlain Region and Montreal, Quebec. If you want to travel more of Canada, you can check out Trans Canadian railway trips for more opportunities. Railway train time inquiries will lead you to their website, allowing you to see more details of the journey.

Napa Valley Wine Trail

Napa Valley in California offers numerous scenic full-day train rides including The Legacy Tour, The Collective Tour, An Elegant Tour, The Estate Tour, The Famiglia Tour, The Ambassador Tour and the Castle Winery Tour. With railway train inquiries, you’ll be able to determine where each one goes and which one best fit what you’re looking for. A railway train time table list in Napa Valley allows you to see when they leave and the duration of the trip. These are more than just scenic train rides, they will stop and allow you to explore the area and do a little shopping and sightseeing.

MORE FROM QUESTIONSANSWERED.NET

Getting a refund for a cancelled or delayed train

This advice applies to England. See advice for See advice for Northern Ireland , See advice for Scotland , See advice for Wales

If your train journey is cancelled, you can get a full refund if you can't take the next train or decide not to travel.

If you’re delayed and arrive at your destination more than half an hour late, you’ll usually be able to get some money back. Some train companies will also give you compensation if your train is more than 15 minutes late.

You need to keep your train tickets to get a refund.

You should try to claim within 28 days, but some train companies allow longer.

If you travelled with Transport for London (TfL), for example on the London Underground, you can find how much you could get and how to claim on their website .

If you have a season ticket, the best thing to do is ask at your ticket office or check your train company’s website. You’ll usually be able to get some money back for a delay or cancellation.

Some travel insurers cover the cost of missed flights, if the reason was out of your control. If you miss a flight because your train to the airport was delayed or cancelled, contact your travel insurance provider to check if you can claim.

How much you can get for a cancellation

You’re entitled to a full refund if your train was cancelled and you couldn't take the next train or decided not to travel. If you didn't use your ticket, you can get a refund without any fees - it doesn't matter what type of ticket you bought.

How much you can get for a delay

You might be able to get some money back. How much you can claim depends on which train company you were travelling with when you were delayed. This might be a different company from the one you booked your journey with. 

Check your ticket if you're not sure which company you were travelling with.

If your train company offers ‘Delay Repay’

You can get compensation if your train company is part of a scheme called ‘Delay Repay’ - it doesn’t matter why your train was delayed.

Check your train company’s website to find out if they offer Delay Repay (they might call it 'delay compensation'.

You’re legally entitled to compensation of:

50% of your ticket price if you get to your destination between 30 minutes and an hour late

a full refund if you arrive more than 1 hour late

Delay Repay 15

Some train companies have an extra scheme called 'Delay Repay 15'. In these cases you're entitled to 25% of your ticket price if you get to your destination between 15 and 29 minutes late. Check your train company's website to find out if they offer Delay Repay 15.

If your train company doesn't offer ‘Delay Repay’

You can still get compensation under rules called the ‘National Rail Conditions of Carriage’ if the train company doesn't offer Delay Repay, but you won’t get as much.

You won’t get anything if the delay wasn’t the train company’s fault - for example if you were delayed because of bad weather.

If you arrived at your destination more than an hour late you’ll be entitled to:

50% of your ticket price if you bought a single ticket

25% of your ticket price if you bought a return ticket

50% of your ticket price if you bought a return ticket and were delayed on both journeys for more than an hour

How to claim

You can claim compensation by visiting the train company’s website - most have online forms you can use. You’ll probably need to upload a picture of your ticket.

You can write them a letter if you’d prefer. You’ll need to give details of your journey, and send your original tickets. It’s a good idea to make copies of them in case your letter goes missing - a digital photograph or scan will do. You should get a refund within a month.

A lot of companies offer vouchers to use on future train journeys. You don’t have to accept them - if you want a cash refund, you can insist on it.

If you’re not happy with the response

You can take your complaint further if you’re not happy with the response from your train company.

Contact the Rail Ombudsman - they can investigate complaints about most train companies. If they can’t help with your issue, they’ll put you in touch with another organisation which can help.

If the Rail Ombudsman decides they’ve done something wrong, the train company has to put it right.

Rail Ombudsman

Telephone: 0330 094 0362

Textphone: 0330 094 0363

(Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 8am to 1pm)

Website: www.railombudsman.org

Email: [email protected]

Post: FREEPOST – RAIL OMBUDSMAN

Help us improve our website

Take 3 minutes to tell us if you found what you needed on our website. Your feedback will help us give millions of people the information they need.

• Guides >

How to get a refund on train tickets

Train delays, strikes or even cancellations can be extremely frustrating, especially when they ruin your plans or make you late. The good news is, you might at least be able to get your money back. The rules on refunds depend on precisely what happened – including how long delays are. Here’s what you need to know:

When can you get a full refund on train tickets?

To get a refund on your train tickets, you need to claim within 28 days of the date you were supposed to travel.

If your journey is cancelled for any reason, you can get a full refund from the train company you were due to travel with. 

You need to keep your unused ticket as proof. If you're asked to send in the original ticket with your claim, be sure to keep a copy of it, in case it goes missing in the post.

What are your legal rights to a refund?

What if you choose not to travel?

If you decide not to travel simply because you’ve changed your mind, you’re unlikely to get a full refund. However, depending on what kind of ticket you bought, you might be able to cancel and get most of your money back. 

Sometimes you will be asked to pay a £10 cancellation fee to do this. And be warned, some advance tickets and special offers may be non-refundable, so check the terms and conditions of the train operating company. 

You're more likely to get a full refund if the train you were intending to take is delayed, or your reservation is not available. In these cases, you can argue that the train company failed to deliver rather than that you changed your mind.

Find your train company's contact details

When can you get compensation on your train tickets?

Whether you qualify for compensation depends on the train operator you’re travelling with. Most are signed up to Delay Repay (see below), which means you should get some money back if a delay to your train makes you more than 15 or 30 minutes late. 

Companies that aren’t signed up for Delay Repay don’t have to start giving refunds unless you’re an hour late. Often, they also say you can’t claim if the cause of the delay was not the operator's fault. For example, you could claim for delays caused by staff shortages, but not for delays caused by bad weather

The delay refers to the  arrival time , not the departure. You would not be entitled to compensation if your train left 20 minutes late but only arrived 5 minutes after its scheduled arrival.

By the same token, a five-minute delay to your train that means you miss a connection and arrive more than an hour late could qualify you for compensation.

See the  National Rail Conditions of Travel .

What is Delay Repay?

This is a voluntary scheme that lets you claim compensation if your train is delayed for any reason – including bad weather.

You’re entitled to compensation of up to:

50% of your ticket price if you get to your destination between 30 minutes and an hour late

A full refund if you arrive more than 1 hour late

Here are the train companies signed up for Delay Repay:

c2c (15-minute Delay Repay, two-minute Automatic Delay Repay for smartcard holders)

Caledonian Sleeper (30-minute Delay Repay)

CrossCountry 

East Midlands Trains 

London North East Railway 

Southeastern 

TransPennine Express 

Virgin Trains (Automatic Delay Repay with advance tickets booked online via Virgin Trains for journeys that took place entirely on the Virgin Trains network)

Some train companies are signed up to an even better scheme called Delay Repay 15. 

Under this scheme, you get compensation if your train is late by more than 15 minutes. 

25% of a single fair if you’re between 15 minutes and half an hour late

a full refund if you arrive more than 1 hour late

Here are the operators signed up to Delay Repay 15:

c2c (Automatic Delay Repay for smartcard holders)

Gatwick Express 

Greater Anglia 

Great Northern (Auto Delay Repay for smartcard holders)

Great Western Railway 

Island Line 

London Northwestern Railway 

Northern (Automatic Delay Repay with advance tickets booked online via Northern)

South Western Railway 

Stansted Express 

Thameslink (Auto Delay Repay for smartcard holders)

Transport for Wales Rail 

West Midlands Railway 

The refund rates for both Delay Pay schemes change if you have a return ticket or if you’re a season ticket holder.~

How much money will I get refunded?

Exactly how much you’ll get depends on whether you’ve bought a single or return ticket, if your operator uses Delay Repay and whether you’re claiming on a season ticket.

Refund under Delay Repay:

The Delay Repay scheme has a tiered refund policy. For single or return journeys, some offer:

And the Delay Repay for season ticket holders may be:

You will not get the same amounts as Delay Repay thresholds if the train operator is not part of the scheme. Typically, the refunds on offer are:

50% of a single ticket fare

50% of a delayed journey fare with a return ticket, if only one journey delayed

50% of total return fare, if both journeys delayed

Can I get a refund for poor service?

You can also claim for service problems on your journey, like:

Broken toilets

Dangerous overcrowding

No Wi-Fi, if you were told there would be

Keep a copy of your tickets and take photo evidence of any problems you experience on your journey. Then email them to your train company's complaints team, by searching their contact details on their website.

The amount you get is down to the train company's discretion. They are not legally obliged to give you a refund. But you could still get money back as a goodwill gesture.

Can you claim compensation on season tickets?

As well as the Delay Repay for season ticket holders, you could also get a  renewal discount .

This applies to monthly or annual season ticket holders who've experienced 'sustained poor performance'. The criteria for this varies and depends on your route and operator. Check with your train operator directly to find out if you qualify.

Can you get refunds during train strikes?

You can get a full refund if any part of your train journey is cancelled due to strike action.

You'll also be given the option to travel on a different train, without changing your ticket.

You can choose between:

A different train on the same day

A different train, up to 7 days after your journey was cancelled

The travel conditions of your original ticket will still apply. For example, if you have an off-peak ticket, you can only travel at off-peak times.

Most train companies put on replacement services during strikes. Unfortunately, can only claim for delays to your journey if your replacement travel is affected.

How are train refund claims paid?

If your claim is successful, your train company will refund the money into the account you used to pay for it, it or by cheque.

You have the right to demand cash for train delays and cancellations. Don’t be fobbed off with train vouchers!

What if your claim for a refund is rejected?

If you are unhappy with the response you get from your train company, you can log an official complaint with them.

Read  how to write a complaint letter .

If you are still unhappy, you can escalate your complaint to  Transport First  or the  Office of Rail and Road (ORR) .

Find the right cover for your travels by comparing our best travel insurance deals.

You may also like

• 3 holiday essentials for your travel wallet
• Can you keep money accidentally paid into your bank account?
• What are your rights if your flight is delayed?
• How to avoid Europe's biggest travel rip-offs
• What are my rights if my flight is cancelled because of airport strikes?

About Martin Lane

Rail Passengers

Rail news, journeys and comment, your right to a refund – what to know.

When you’re travelling by rail in Britain it is important to know your rights regarding what can be refunded and what can’t be when it comes to your rail tickets.

In life things happen: schedules change, appointments are cancelled, illness strikes, accidents, the list of things that can change your rail travel arrangements is enormous, so knowing how you can be refunded for a ticket you didn’t use is essential.

Most tickets you haven’t used will be refundable, depending on a few factors. This can be a little complicated but we’ll try make it as clear and simple as we can for you.

Stolen or Mislaid Tickets

First of all, let’s look at what to do if your ticket is stolen or mislaid. You are entitled to a refund or a replacement only if you can cancel the original ticket and that ticket was refundable in the first place (see below). You can do this by applying to the company who sold you the ticket.

Administration Fee

A charge of up to £10 can be made to issue the refund, so a ticket that cost less than that would not be eligible for a refund. The window for applying for a refund is 28 days from the date of the ticket expiry, so an anytime return valid for a month would be refundable during that month period plus 28 days.

Partially Used Tickets

If you’ve made use of part of the ticket, for example the outbound part of a return ticket, you can still apply for a refund for the unused part of your ticket. However, if the value of this unused part is less than the administration fee, you won’t get anything back.

Non Refundable Tickets

Some tickets are not refundable, for example, with an advance ticket you can change the date and time of the desired rail trip up until the current time passes, but you can’t obtain a refund if you miss the train.

Missing Rail Card

If you’ve been charged a penalty fee or for a new ticket because you didn’t have the rail card used to buy the ticket, present your case to the customer service department of whatever rail company you bought the ticket from and they will refund you. You can only do this once in 12 a twelve month period.

Delays and Disruptions

Trains get delayed, some don’t turn up, and sometimes your reservation can’t be honoured (overcrowded trains etc.), and if you decide not to travel, in these cases your tickets (even otherwise non refundable tickets) will be refunded by the retailer or company who sold you them. There won’t be an administration fee as the fault is not yours.

If part of your journey is delayed or disrupted and you couldn’t travel, that part of your ticket will be refundable. All these claims have to be made within 28 days of the expiry date of your ticket. The train companies aim to have your ticket refunded within 14 days of your application, and should have them done in 28 days.

Season Tickets

Season tickets are a little different: they are refundable only from the day you give your ticket in for a refund. A weekly ticket can only be refunded if there are still 3 valid days on the ticket, for a monthly ticket or longer than monthly ticket, 7 days of travel must still be valid for a refund to be made.

You will get back the difference between what you paid for the ticket and the cost of daily return tickets until the expiry of the ticket, but bear in mind there is also a £10 administration fee, so a ticket with a lower value than the administration fee won’t be refundable.

Method of Refund

Tickets are refunded generally in the method they were paid for, so for cash and cheques you’ll get either a cheque or cash as a refund. Paypal, credit and debit cards will be refunded as credit to the account they were purchased from; warrants will be refunded to the warrant account they were purchased from. Vouchers can either be exchanged for cash or other rail vouchers, but this is at the discretion of the vendor.

These are the general rules for obtaining a refund for your rail ticket, make sure you’ve read the terms and conditions of the retailer or train company you purchase it from as there can be small differences in the way they handle such complaints, such as the cost of the administration fees. Each rail company has a Passenger Charter available on their website.

Know your Rights

As a rail passenger in England you’re often subjected to less than excellent conditions on the rail network and prices have gone up relentlessly for years, making it a costly and sometimes unpleasant way to travel. By knowing how to get refunds and what is refundable means you’re protecting yourself and your income.

Your rights are set out in the National Rail Conditions of Travel document, found at the National Rail website; these are regularly updated, so keep an eye on them.

Useful Resources

National Rail Conditions of Travel – http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/46427.aspx

• Accessibility Tool

Sign in for quicker bookings

Hmm, that's not quite right

The details you've typed are incorrect. Please try again.

• Live train & disruption info
• Ticket types
• Benefits of booking direct
• Ways to save
• Group travel
• Getting your ticket
• Upgrade your ticket
• Download our app
• Club Avanti
• Avanti Business
• Early Bird Anytime
• Season Tickets
• Child Train Tickets
• Family Train Tickets
• First Class
• Standard Premium
• Standard Class
• First Class Menus
• First Class Lounges
• Food and drink
• 16-17 Saver Railcard
• 16-25 Railcard
• 26-30 Railcard
• Family & Friends Railcard
• Senior Railcard
• Two Together Railcard
• Disabled Persons Railcard
• Jobcentre Plus Railcard
• Best Fare Finder
• Priority Ticket Alerts
• Our Price Promise
• School Groups
• TV production and film crew travel
• MICE (Meetings, Conferences & Events)
• Celebrations
• Group Travel Form
• Our destinations
• Travel Inspiration
• Feel good travel
• Feel Good Field Trips
• Day trips & events
• Our route map
• Manchester to London
• London to Manchester
• London to Glasgow
• Glasgow to London
• Liverpool to London
• London to Liverpool
• Birmingham to London
• Trains to London
• Trains to Manchester
• Trains to Liverpool
• Trains to the Lake District
• Trains to Glasgow
• Trains to Lancaster
• Trains to Birmingham
• Trains to Blackpool
• Trains to Crewe
• Trains to Edinburgh
• Anfield Stadium
• Celtic Park Stadium
• Emirates Stadium
• Etihad Stadium
• Murrayfield Stadium
• Old Trafford Stadium
• Stamford Bridge Stadium
• St. Andrews Stadium
• Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
• Wembley Stadium
• Trains to Birmingham International Airport
• Trains to Bournemouth Airport
• Trains to Bristol Airport
• Trains to Cardiff Airport
• Trains to East Midlands Airport
• Trains to Edinburgh Airport
• Trains to Exeter Airport
• Trains to Gatwick Airport
• Trains to Glasgow Airport
• Trains to Heathrow Airport
• Discover Birmingham
• Discover Chester
• Discover Coventry
• Discover Edinburgh
• Discover the Lake District
• Discover London
• Discover Manchester
• Discover Liverpool
• Trains to Birmingham Pride
• Trains to the Birmingham Sea Life Centre
• Trains to Birmingham Symphony Hall
• Trains to Blackpool Illuminations
• Trains to Blackpool Pleasure Beach
• Trains to Blackpool Sandcastle Waterpark
• Travelling to Buckingham Palace by Train
• Trains to Caernarfon Castle
• Trains to Camera Obscura Edinburgh
• Trains to Cassiobury Park
• Plan your Journey
• Station Information
• Live Train Status
• Strike information
• Christmas travel 2023
• Travel updates and disruption
• Live Train Times
• Planned engineering work
• Set up disruption alerts
• Passenger Assist
• Accessibility hub
• Dealing with delays
• Explore the differences between Avanti trains and others
• Click & Collect
• Seat Picker
• About our trains
• London Euston Station
• Crewe Station
• Manchester Piccadilly Station
• Oxenholme Lake District Station
• Glasgow Central Station
• Liverpool Lime Street Station
• Birmingham New Street Station
• Birmingham International Station
• Coventry Station
• Lancaster Station
• Top tips for travelling this Christmas
• Help & Support
• Refund your journey

Train Ticket Refunds

Depending on your ticket, you might be able to get some, or even all, of your money back - find out more below., i was delayed, i'd like to cancel my booking, i couldn't travel due to disruption, change your journey, how do i get my refund.

This information is specifically for customers that bought their train tickets directly from our Avanti website, Avanti West Coast app  or ticket offices. If you bought your ticket from a different retailer then you will need to contact them for your refund.

Want to amend your ticket instead?

If you would like to change your ticket instead to travel on a different date or at a different time then please click the link below for more information.

Please note, it’s an offence to claim a refund on a used ticket. We carry out regular checks to identify fraudulent claims. Please only claim a refund if you have not travelled.

Refund information

I have an anytime or off-peak ticket.

Please note a £10 admin fee still applies for refunding Anytime or Off-Peak tickets.

Bought your ticket on our website or app?

The quickest way to request a refund is via the ' My Account ' section of our web and app. To do this you need to:

Sign in to your account 

• Go to 'My bookings'
• Click request a refund/confirm refund request

Bought your ticket at one of  our stations ?

Head back to the station you bought it from within 28 days of your tickets expiry date. The ticket office team can sort your refund for you if you bought at stations.

Find out more about changing your journey

I have an Advance ticket

Advance tickets are non-refundable, but you can change the date and time of your ticket before your original departure. Find out more:

I have a Season ticket

Can i receive a refund.

Yes, depending on the length of time unused on the ticket.

Because of discounts applied to long-term Season tickets, refunds are not made pro rata and annual Season tickets have no refund value after approximately 10 months. If this applies to you, please do not void your ticket. If you’re unsure, please email the team for more information.

A £10 admin fee applies for changes to Season Tickets.

How do I claim?

Please apply for your refund at the point of sale where most can be processed immediately.

Season ticket refund applications will be refunded from the date the ticket is surrendered to Avanti West Coast. If you can prove a certified illness prevented you handing your ticket in sooner, your refund could be a backdated. Please include this when you apply for a refund.

To find out more,  click here.

I abandoned my journey - how do I get a refund?

This is information specifically for customers who had to abandon their journey due to delays or their trains being cancelled:

Bought your ticket on avantiwestcoast.co.uk or via our app?

Please note, attempting a refund via 'My Account' will incur the £10.00 admin fee if you abandoned your journey. To collect a refund for an abandoned journey without having to pay £10.00 admin fee, you will need to contact our refunds team directly by filling out the following refund form: Abandoned journey refund form Please make sure to include your booking reference and/or a copy of your ticket(s) so our team have as much information as possible.

Bought your ticket from another website or app?

You’ll need to contact them directly. We can’t speak for other retailers, but it may be worth contacting them by phone or live chat to ensure your refund isn’t rejected or charged any fees in error.

Bought your ticket from a station?

The quickest way to get your full refund is to take your unused ticket(s) back to the exact station you purchased them from. If that’s not convenient, any staffed National Rail station can accept your refund request & forward it on to the original station for you (but this can take longer). In all cases, refunds must be requested within 28 days of the ticket's expiry date.

My train has been cancelled

If your train has been cancelled then you can request a refund from your point of purchase within 28 days of the date of travel. Please see more details below:

Purchased your ticket via or website or app?

You can fill out this cancelled train refund form and a member of our team will be in contact. You can also request a refund via the ' My Account ' section of our site/app but please note that an admin fee will apply if using this method.

Purchased your ticket at a station?

The quickest way to get your refund is to take your unused ticket(s) back to the exact station you purchased them from. If that’s not convenient, any staffed National Rail station can accept your refund request and forward it on to the original station for you.

Purchased your tickets from another website/retailer?

If you purchased your tickets elsewhere, you’ll need to contact them directly.

Delayed journey?

If you did complete your journey, even if your train was cancelled or delayed, the process is different and you might be eligible for compensation. If your overall journey was delayed for 15 minutes or more, make your Delay Repay claim  using our online Delay Repay form . If you were delayed when travelling with a different train company, you’ll need to make your claim with them.

I have a Car Park Season ticket

For those wishing to refund a Car Park Season ti cket, Please apply for your refund at the point of sale.

The refund will be from date you return the parking pass.

I bought my ticket from another website/retailer

If you bought your ticket from another website or retailer then you will need to contact them directly to claim your refund.

Why can’t I refund my ticket through your website or app?

In order to refund your ticket through our website or app your ticket must be:.

• Bought from the Avanti West Coast website or app
• An Anytime or Off-Peak
• Delivered as a digital E-ticket
• Over the value of £10

The following types of tickets cannot be refunded on our website or app

• Tickets bought from other retailers
• Advance tickets and Season tickets
• Delivered through smartcard, post or collect at station
• Under the value of £10

Bought your ticket on our website?

The quickest way to request a refund is via the 'My Account' section of our website. To do this you need to:

• Sign in to 'My Account'   (if you have already signed in to your account please click 'My Account' at the top right of this page. If not then please click where it says 'Sign in' in the top right hand corner of this page.)
• Click request a refund/confirm refund request 

Bought your ticket on our  Avanti West Coast app ?

• Sign in to your account
• Go to 'My tickets'
• Scroll down click 'request refund' and choose a reason for requesting refund.

Bought your ticket at one of our stations ?

Head back to the station you bought it from within 28 days of your tickets expiry date. The ticket office team can sort your refund for you but please note a £10 admin fee still applies for refunding tickets bought at stations.

Find out more about changing your journey ›

Abandoned your journey due to disruption?

If you abandoned your travel plans due to your train being delayed or cancelled, you can get a full refund without an admin fee from where you bought your ticket.

Bought your ticket on our website/app?

Please request a refund via our refund web form and one of our team will be in touch as soon as possible. Please fill out our refund   form .

You’ll need to contact them directly.

The quickest way to get your full refund is to take your unused ticket(s) back to the exact station you purchased them from.If that’s not convenient, any staffed National Rail station can accept your refund request & forward it on to the original station for you (but this can take longer). In all cases, refunds must be requested within 28 days of the ticket's expiry date.

Delay Repay

You can claim Delay Repay if your journey with Avanti West Coast has been delayed by 15 minutes or more. Depending on the amount of time your journey was delayed, you may be entitled to a full or partial refund on the price of your ticket:

Need more help?

Question still unanswered? Find more information here

Interested in...

Tickets to attractions

Be inspired

Check live train times

Book Passenger Assist

Check engineering works

Check station facilities

Browse Help by Category

• Ticket refunds and changes

Refunding a UK train ticket

Quick refunds – for direct access to refund and changes for a particular booking, find your confirmation email and click ‘manage booking’.   can't find the email search your inbox for an email from [email protected]. if you have an account, login to view all your bookings in one place. .

The following information relates to standard refund requests if you want to cancel the ticket

Which tickets can I refund?

Flexible tickets (off-peak, super off-peak and anytime tickets).

These types of tickets can be refunded online for a fee. 

You have 28 days from expiry of the ticket to request a refund and return your ticket. If you have a mobile ticket and it has already been activated, you can no longer claim a refund on that journey.

Advance Single ticket

Advance Single tickets cannot be refunded but they can be changed.

Changes are only allowed for a different time/date of travel, so you need to stick to the same departure and arrival stations.   Visit this page for more information on changing.

Similar rules apply to a combination of tickets. 

The Flexible tickets can be refunded. The Advance Single tickets can only be changed.  However, if you have a combination of Advance and Flexible then all the tickets can be changed.  

Refund fees

If you originally got your ticket by calling our contact centre then we charge a set £10.00 fee. For tickets bought online or using our apps, the refund fee is based on the value of the ticket that is being cancelled. The breakdown of refund fees for tickets bought online or using our apps is as follows -

Refunds for delayed or cancelled trains

Refund for a cancelled train.

If your train is cancelled, you can use your existing ticket to travel on the next available service... Advance Singles – hop on the next available train with the same train operator. Flexible tickets – such as Off-Peak and Anytime tickets offer flexibility and you can travel at various times of the day. Remember to check the conditions of your ticket in case you can only travel with a certain operator/route. If you can't take the next train or decide not to travel, you’ll be entitled to a refund.

The quickest and easiest way to refund your ticket is to do it online. Login to My Bookings , select your booking, and click on refund tickets.

Can’t find your booking? – click here

Compensation for a delayed train

If your train was delayed but you still managed to complete your journey then a ticket refund is not available. However the train operators themselves do offer compensation. Please see this article on how to claim compensation. 

How to request a refund online

If you have an account:.

• Find your booking on our website in My Bookings or within our App under 'My Tickets'
• Select 'Refund my tickets'

If you don’t have an account:

• Find your confirmation email and click ‘Manage booking’.
• Follow the steps above to request a refund

When will I get my refund?

Refunds can take an average of 3-5 days to process.  You can check the status of your refund in your account .

Here's a guide to what the statuses mean.

• Refunded/ Refund Approved - You've done everything you need to and your refund is on the way back to you, it will appear in your account within 5 days.
• Refund Processing/ Refund - Action Required  – Before we can process your refund we may need you to return your tickets.
• Refund Rejected – We’re unable to refund your tickets. This could be because you've scanned your eticket or activated your Mobile Ticket. 

My card has expired

If your account is closed and the refund still isn't appearing in your account after 15 days, please contact your card issuer. They'll be holding the funds for you and will be able to arrange a transfer to your new account. If your card issuer has confirmed that the refund funds have been sent back to us, please obtain an ARN number from them to allow us to trace the returned refund.

Related Articles

Did you find it helpful? Yes No