Rail operators forced to cough up as delay repay claims double
Rail operators closed more than double the number of compensation claims for delays in the 12 months to March, reflecting in part a “deterioration in train punctuality and reliability” as well as the ongoing effect of strike action.
The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) – the sector’s watchdog – said there were 5.9m delay compensation claims closed by train operators in the last year, up 189 per cent on the previous year.
The ORR said the dramatic increase reflected a “deterioration in train punctuality and reliability” along with frequent strike action, which drove up compensation claims.
The emergence from the tail-end of the Covid-19 pandemic, which skewed the previous year’s data due to lower passenger numbers, also affected figures.
However, in the three months between January to March, there were just over 1.5m claims closed – more than double the number closed year-on-year compared to a period largely unaffected by Covid-19 lockdowns.
It comes following a six month period that has been marred by RMT and ASLEF Union walk-outs, with a pay deal still looking far off.
That same period also saw the nationalisation of Transpennine Express, which was taken under government ownership after repeatedly poor performance ratings.
Seperate ORR data released in March showed an uptick in the number of rail cancellations at the end of last year.
The regulator’s director of planning and performance, Feras Alshaker, said at the time that “train reliability is not good enough. Even on non-strike days the number of trains being cancelled is too high.”
The watchdog did note today that passenger volumes had increased by 46 per cent over the past year, which would also have bumped up compensation claims.
The train operators that saw the biggest increase in compensation complaints were Chiltern and Heathrow Express; however, these figures were skewed by a surge in passenger numbers on both routes.
Transpennine Express saw a rise of 108 per cent claims year-on-year, while the embattled Avanti West Coast, which is currently awaiting a decision on whether its contract will be renewed, saw a rise of 155 per cent.
The Rail Delivery Group said that the figures showed that train companies had improved customer access to compensation.
“Train companies are continuing to raise awareness of Delay Repay through train announcements, email reminders and Facebook messenger, while making the process easier,” they said.
The DfT, Avanti West Coast and Transpennine Express were contacted for comment.