Surely if you'd purchased an advance single for (for example) London to Penzance from the GWR website and the train was cancelled, there's no reason for GWR not to automatically pay delay/repay as there is no way you could have got to your destination without incurring at least an hour's delay?

 

I understand that that is the idea eventually, yes - in that payment will be automatic eventually, eventually - which says to me that you'll book yourself onto a train before boarding so they know the train(s) you have caught. That's the only way I can see in order to be auto-payout.

 
Thank you for your inputs.  My correspondent writes that in the end, Cross Country have said they will repay for the outbound journey, and GWR will repay for the return (on appeal rather than at first asking).   Very interesting where the general rule if you buy something and it goes wrong is that you go back to the people who sold it to you.

Will one of the benefits of GBR be that all applications for compensation when things have gone pear shaped will be to a single place and this complexity will be no longer?

 
My general thinking is pick the TOC whose delay pushed the journey past threshold; if one pushed past 15m, then a connection pushed it past 30m, so both added to the issue, I'd be inclined to say TOC that caused initial delay.

Use the appeal/re-claim button, which IIRC allows a brief explanation - e.g. 'Both legs of journey delayed but initial delay with XXX' or whatever. I assume the system at one TOC is probably noticing the delay on the other TOC's leg and automatically passing the buck, but a manual appeal should sort it, I would have thought. If it's a case of each TOC's contribution to delays going past thresholds being equal, they should work out between themselves who is liable in DR terms.

I've had this before, but it was more clear-cut – TOC 2 had the delay, but their system referred me to TOC 1 (longer journey leg). They flagged no delay on their part (true) so I asked them to pass back to TOC 2. All sorted.

 
Not in my experience.

As stated elsewhere I use the LNER website to book GWR tickets and they've always processed delay/repay claims very swiftly without trying to refer me elsewhere.

 
From a friend who lives in Melksham (and shared with permission)



I am not sure on this one - advice please!