From Sunday September 20, passengers whose trains are cancelled will be able to use other services free of charge, ending the need for costly re-bookings and the risk of being stranded at stations.
The Government has announced a new scheme to help passengers whose trains have been cancelled, starting this weekend. Under the changes, passengers holding a valid ticket will be able to travel on another participating operator’s train, departing within two hours before or after their original cancelled service, using a direct or reasonable alternative route. Passengers will need to show their original ticket to customer support staff on their new service as proof of purchase, with no requirement to download a new ticket.
Reforms to rail services
The changes come as part of Government reforms to rail services, including the creation of Great British Railways (GBR), which the Department for Transport (DfT) says will bring railways under stronger public control to "put passengers and their experience first."
Currently, the DfT says passengers are paying the price for a "system which prioritises shareholders when trains are cancelled." The department added: "People are left to wait on platforms for operators to agree ticket acceptance, rush to catch another service across the station, buy a new ticket, or abandon their journey altogether - with countless meetings, appointments, and reunions missed as a result."
Which operators are covered?
Following the expansion this weekend, the following operators will be taking part in the scheme. East Midlands Railway will join the scheme at a later date:
- c2c
- Gatwick Express
- Greater Anglia
- Great Northern
- LNER
- London Northwestern Railway
- Northern
- Southeastern
- Southern
- Thameslink
- South Western Railway
- Transpennine Express
- West Midlands Railway
- Avanti West Coast (new)
- Chiltern Railways (new)
- CrossCountry (new)
- Great Western Railway (new)
The DfT says cross-operator ticket acceptance is already in place across all publicly owned operators, but from Sunday September 20, this expands to include CrossCountry, GWR, Avanti West Coast and Chiltern Railways, bringing operators running key intercity routes across the UK into the scheme to support thousands more passengers.
Minister and watchdog response
Rail Minister Lord Hendy said: "This is a simple, common-sense change that puts passengers first. No one should be left stranded because of a fragmented railway when their journey is disrupted. From this weekend, if your train is cancelled, you can get on another operator’s service and carry on your journey without paying again."
He added: "We’re fixing the railway from the ground up, making it simpler, fairer and easier to use, as we move towards Great British Railways and put public service back at the heart of our railways."
Alex Robertson, Chief Executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: "When passengers are delayed, they just want to get where they need to be, not worry about whether their ticket will be accepted on another train. This is a welcome change that we have long called for and should make it easier for people when services are cancelled. The key now is making sure passengers get clear information about their options whenever disruption occurs."
The DfT says expanding ticket acceptance signifies the Government’s "common-sense approach" to reform the overly complicated and outdated rail fare system ahead of the establishment of GBR. The department is investing £156 million in new ticketing schemes so that by 2027, pay-as-you-go will become available at over 100 more stations across Greater Manchester, the Midlands and the South-East. Digital ticketing allows passengers to download an app that uses GPS to track their journeys to calculate the best fare without physically checking in and out or buying a ticket in advance. A new GBR website and app is also said to be in development, which will serve as a one-stop shop, with passengers able to buy tickets, check train times and access support in one simple-to-use app.
