Delay Repay - varying onboard announcements.

[extendedpaul]

I've travelled on two Southeastern trains this month which reached London Victoria more than 30 minutes late. Both conductors apologised and gave a reason for the delay as we approached Victoria.

However the first conductor also made several announcements about Delay Repay including advising customers not to put paper tickets through the barriers.

This morning a different conductor made no mention of Delay Repay and only a few customers, including me, went to the manned barrier and retained their ticket. It was a packed mid morning train from the Kent coast and I'd estimate that 90% completing a journey at Victoria surrendered their tickets, making it much more difficult (impossible?) to claim for the delay. Several other trains I've caught recently have been between 15 and 30 minutes late, due to ongoing speed restrictions mainly, and there wasn't a mention of Delay Repay.

I suspect many leisure and occasional travellers are unaware of the process and I think it should be referred to more consistently in announcements. It does create a suspicion that they don't really want too many claims ...

 

[kristiang85]

They should just say take a picture of your ticket, as for Delay Repay you just need a digital copy with the numbers (unless it differs across TOCs?).

It would help queues at the gates if simple advice like that.

Generally on SWR I find about a quarter of the time the train is late enough for delay repay they will mention it.

 

[Haywain]

I'd estimate that 90% completing a journey at Victoria surrendered their tickets, making it much more difficult (impossible?) to claim for the delay.

I think that would be wildly off the mark. A high percentage of people travelling into London across the South East will be using Travelcards, season tickets and return tickets.

 

[extendedpaul]

I just watched people put their tickets through the barrier while I was waiting in a small queue at the manned barrier. Very few seemed to be coming back out !

 

[Aaron1]

I know TPE delay repay don't require a ticket, they are happy to accept booking confirmation email or the booking number, and they have never rejected a delay repay appeal from me based on the fact I have not submitted my ticket, I have never been delayed on a southeastern service so I don't know if the same applies

 

[SCDR_WMR]

Our 350s automatically announce delay repay once the train is over 15 late, would be good if all TOCs implemented such things. Manual announcements are good too, and I also mention it if we're late when walking through the train.

 

[Runningaround]

I doubt they'd ever set up an auto announcement to retain your ticket at the barrier as it would encourage more to remember to make delay repay claims while keeping part of the evidence and from experience delay repay is getting more awkward and defaults to reject for any number of pointless reasons its as if they are deliberately doing so to put off as many claim as they can. They certainly don't look to make it as simple as it could be.

 

[island]

I think that would be wildly off the mark. A high percentage of people travelling into London across the South East will be using Travelcards, season tickets and return tickets.

Much less than pre-COVID. And in the latter case, the ticket coupon used will be retained in the barriers.

 

[Haywain]

Much less than pre-COVID. And in the latter case, the ticket coupon used will be retained in the barriers.

Yes, but the return portion would still be acceptable for a claim. And it would still be much lower than 90% having the coupons retained.