UK rail firms make major change helping delayed train passengers avoid fines

Passengers can now change their journeys for free (Picture: Nguyen/NurPhoto/Shutterstock) If your train is delayed or cancelled, everyone knows the panic that ensues. There’s something especially cruel about the fact that, despite a journey being disrupted through no fault of your own, if you end up taking a service or route that your original ticket isn’t valid for, you could end up paying a fine. But now, those days of stress are over. Starting this Sunday, September 20, travellers can automatically hop on alternative services run by competing operators, without paying a penny extra. This comes ahead of the creation of Great British Railways (GBR) – which the government’s Department for Transport (DfT) says is ‘bringing railways under stronger public control to put passengers and their experience first.’ While cross-operator ticket acceptance is already standard across publicly-owned train companies, four major private operators are officially joining the scheme this Sunday. Four private rail firms have joined the scheme, starting from Sunday, September 20 (Picture: by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images) The participating firms are: c2c Gatwick Express Greater Anglia Great Northern LNER London Northwestern Railway Northern Southeastern Southern Thameslink South Western Railway Transpennine Express West Midlands Railway CrossCountry Great Western Railway Avanti West Coast Chiltern Railways East Midlands Railway is also set to join the scheme at a later, unconfirmed date. How does it work? If your scheduled train is cancelled, you can use your existing ticket to travel on a rival operator’s service. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. Prior to this rule change, you’d either have been refused boarding, or be forced to pay a penalty fare of £100 (£50 if you pay within 21 days), plus the price of a new ticket. The alternative train must depart within two hours before or after your original travel time, and the journey must follow a ‘direct or reasonable alternative route,’ the DfT outlined yesterday, September 14. Simply show your original ticket to customer service staff before boarding for proof of purchase. You don’t even need to download a new ticket. 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. ‘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.’ Train travel is set to be easier and more affordable (Picture: Shutterstock / l i g h t p o e t) What other rail changes are coming? Alongside making train changes easier and more affordable for passengers, the UK government is investing £156 million to expand pay-as-you-go ticketing to over 100 additional stations across Greater Manchester, the Midlands, and the South East by 2027. A new GBR website and app is also in development, where passengers can buy tickets, check train times and access support. 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. Full list of operators taking part in the scheme Avanti West Coast (new) Chiltern Railways (new) CrossCountry (new) Great Western Railway (new) c2c Gatwick Express Greater Anglia Great Northern LNER London Northwestern Railway Northern Southeastern Southern Thameslink South Western Railway Transpennine Express West Midlands Railway ‘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.’ In other travel news, Eurostar’s monopoly may soon be over, but their launch of a ‘star attraction’ on their new double-decker trains could keep them ahead of the competition. Plus, British Airways makes major flight changes to 4 destinations — including a Spanish favourite, so travellers should check if their bookings are affected. Looking for a British getaway? 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