Stranded rail passengers can now use another operator’s trains
A ticket is valid on another operator’s train leaving within two hours of the cancelled service, and there is no need to buy a new one, the Department for Transport said.
Rail passengers whose trains are cancelled can now complete their journey on another operator’s service at no extra cost, after four more train companies joined a ticket acceptance scheme, the Department for Transport has said.
CrossCountry, Great Western Railway, Avanti West Coast and Chiltern Railways joined the scheme on 20 September, extending an arrangement already in place across all publicly owned operators.
Passengers holding a valid ticket can travel on another participating operator’s train departing within two hours before or after the cancelled service, using a direct or reasonable alternative route.
They will need to show their original ticket to staff on the new service as proof of purchase, with no requirement to download a new ticket.
“No one should be left stranded because of a fragmented railway when their journey is disrupted,” Rail Minister Lord Hendy said. “This is a simple, common-sense change that puts passengers first.”
Which operators are taking part?
The scheme now covers 17 operators, according to the department’s published list; East Midlands Railway will join at a later date.
- 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
What the passenger watchdog says
Alex Robertson, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, called it “a welcome change that we have long called for”, adding: “The key now is making sure passengers get clear information about their options whenever disruption occurs.”
The change came ahead of the creation of Great British Railways, which will bring the railways under stronger public control.
The government is also investing £156m in new ticketing schemes so that by 2027 pay-as-you-go will be available at more than 100 further stations across Greater Manchester, the Midlands and the south-east. A Great British Railways website and app, where passengers will be able to buy tickets, check train times and get support, is also in development.
