How This Tool Works
📋 Purpose
UK Delay Repay would seem simple — but the rules vary across 25 train operating companies. DR15 starts at 15 minutes; DR30 at 30. Some operators exclude strike days; most don't. Some pay 25%, others 50%, for the same delay. Season tickets use a 464-journey-per-year formula most claimants don't know. This calculator hard-codes each operator's actual scheme, current portal URL, claim window, historic approval rate (from ORR consumer reports), and median payout time — so you know exactly what you\'ll get and how fast.
⚙️ How It Works
- 1Pick from 25 UK train operators (auto DR15/DR30/DR60).
- 2Choose ticket type — Anytime, Off-Peak, Advance, Season.
- 3Enter ticket price and delay in minutes.
- 4Tier ladder finds the highest matching refund tier.
- 5Approval-rate × compensation = expected payout.
- 6One-click link to the operator's claim portal.
UK Train Delay Repay Calculator · DR15
How much can you claim back for your delay?
Real Avanti West Coast Delay Repay scheme. Pays from 15 minutes delay.
Your delayed journey
Was this tool helpful?
Your quick feedback helps improve our tools
Complete Guide: UK Train Delay Repay (2026)
How DR15 and DR30 work, which TOCs use which scheme, and how to claim.
📅 Last updated: April 2026
Quick Tips
Jump-start your understanding with these essential tips
Every UK TOC uses a 28-day claim window from the date of the delay. Set a calendar reminder the moment you arrive late.
Most portals offer rail vouchers OR bank transfer. Bank transfer is normally same speed but the cash is fungible — vouchers expire and only work with the same TOC.
TOCs verify against National Rail Live. A 28-minute delay claimed as 31 minutes will be auto-rejected; the same claim as 25 minutes (the truth) gets paid.
You don't get the whole annual back — you get a per-journey share (annual ÷ 464) for the trip that was delayed. A regular commuter with multiple delays a month can build up serious cash.
On a multi-TOC route (e.g. London-Birmingham can be Avanti or LNR), confirm the actual operator that ran your train — that's who pays. Wrong-operator claims are rejected.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these steps to get the most from this tool
Look at the ticket OR the train itself — the livery and on-board branding tells you. If you used a third-party retailer (Trainline) the booking confirmation will name the actual operator. The calculator covers all 25 main UK TOCs.
"Anytime" tickets command full-price refunds. "Off-peak" the same. "Advance" tickets refund the price you paid (not the walk-up price). "Season" uses the annual-price-÷-464 formula.
For singles: the actual price paid. For returns: total round-trip price (the calculator halves it for the affected leg). For season: the annual amount.
Total end-to-end delay against your scheduled arrival — including missed connections caused by an earlier delay. National Rail Live publishes the verified figure if you're unsure.
The date determines whether you're still inside the 28-day window. The strike toggle adjusts for operators with force-majeure policies — most don't exclude strike-delayed trains that actually ran.
If eligible, the action link goes straight to the operator's portal. The "Expected payout" figure (compensation × approval rate) is the realistic forecast.
Advanced Topics
Deep dives for advanced users
If a TOC rejects what you believe is a valid claim, escalate to the Rail Ombudsman (railombudsman.org) — free, binding decisions, 90% of complainants win at least partial compensation. Keep all correspondence and the original rejection email.
Network Rail vs the TOC argue over fault — but for Delay Repay purposes, the TOC pays regardless. Your claim against the TOC is independent of the underlying-cause apportionment. This means trespass, signal failures, weather, even (mostly) strikes are all eligible.
If your through-ticket involves multiple operators (e.g., LNER + ScotRail to Inverness), you typically claim against the operator on whose train you suffered the delay — the one whose late running caused the missed connection. Through-ticket holders sometimes get a bonus from the originating TOC for service-level guarantee breaches.
LNER, c2c, and a few others now run Auto Delay Repay — if you registered your tickets via an Advance/eTicket account, payouts are automatic without filing a claim. Other operators run pilots. If your TOC offers it, opt in: it solves the "I forgot to claim" problem permanently.
For commute economics see True Cost of Commuting. For motor-related fines see UK PCN Appeal Calculator and Speeding Fine Truth.
You Might Also Like
Other tools that pair well with this one
📚Read More Articles
Discover helpful guides and insights
Frequently Asked Questions
Was this tool helpful?
Your quick feedback helps improve our tools