Train companies are deterring passengers from claiming compensation for delays by asking for detailed and irrelevant information, according to the consumer group Which?.
Some train firms demand up to 24 different pieces of information on claim forms – although others pay compensation automatically following delays.
Which? accused the rail firms of “making passengers navigate a compensation maze” – and benefiting from not paying out to those who find the process too cumbersome.
According to Department for Transport research last year, fewer than two in five passengers claim refunds to which they are entitled – a figure that falls to 17% for shorter delays. Almost 60% of those who did not claim said the process was either too complicated, time-consuming, or not worth the bother for the money involved.
The companies Which? identified as having the most complicated and lengthy processes for obtaining compensation were Greater Anglia, London Northwestern, ScotRail, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains, each of which required 24 pieces of information.
The least onerous forms were found at Chiltern Railways and Heathrow Express, although they still required passengers to provide 10 different pieces of information.
Many questions were about the type of ticket used for travel – such as the cost, class, purchase method, and time – and varied considerably across operators. Yet the answers could usually be seen on a photo of the ticket – which all but one of 24 train companies required to be uploaded for proof of purchase.
Alex Hayman of Which? called on the Williams Review – a root-and-branch study of the structure of the UK rail service and the way passenger rail services are delivered, chaired by Keith Williams, the deputy chairman of John Lewis, and due to report in the autumn – to ensure automatic compensation was introduced across the rail industry.
“It’s clear this fragmented and confusing compensation system leads to people losing out on a lot of money when they have already suffered enough from unacceptable levels of delays and cancellations,” Hayman said.
“The technology exists to deliver compensation automatically, but the industry continues to drag its heels, while benefiting from a system that deters passengers from claiming the money they are owed.”
Some train companies already offer compensation automatically, usually to customers who hold electronic season tickets or have booked with a credit card for specific services.
C2C and Virgin were the first to offer automatic “delay repay” on commuter and long-distance services, with varying degrees of success, and similar schemes have followed on Northern, South Western and Govia Thameslink Railway services.
Last year, the government pledged to bring in “one-click compensation”, with operators of future franchises obliged to develop automated repayment schemes.
The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train firms, said there had been an 80% increase in compensation over the last two years, to £81m a year, after companies had encouraged passengers to apply.
Jacqueline Starr, the RDG chief operating officer, said: “Train companies want to make it easy for passengers to claim compensation, and asking questions like what train they caught and the price of their ticket ensures they receive what they are entitled to as quickly as possible while also guarding against fraudulent claims.”
