The UK Department for Transport (DfT) published its response following the Office of Rail and Road’s (ORR) investigation of the super-complaint raised by the consumer body “Which?” about the existing compensation schemes.
The report confirms that UK ministers want to see rapid progress made by the industry to improve the way passengers are made aware of their entitlement to compensation and empowered to make a claim and also sets out some of the steps that the industry is taking already.
The DfT has pledged to continue using its powers as a franchising authority to drive improvement including the continued roll-out across all train operating companies of Delay Repay, which will in future kick in when the train is 15 minutes late, and which will now be imposed as part of any new franchise award. In the interim, the department is working with franchisees that do not yet offer Delay Repay as they seek to improve their compensation schemes.
Work will continue on ways to make compensation more valuable and convenient by, for example, offering cash refunds instead of rail vouchers, and how the department and the rail regulator can work together on consumer protection.
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