Which? in battle over rail delays

The ORR admits 'passenger awareness of how and when to claim compensation is low'

A passenger sits underneath an electronic information board showing cancelled and delayed trains, at Kings Cross train station in London (Getty)

Rail operators are set to come under closer scrutiny over their compensation practices for delays as the consumer group Which? launches a “super complaint” against the industry.

It has formally called on the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to make the process simpler, to help deal with the estimated 47 million passenger journeys which were either cancelled or significantly late in the 12 months to March.Most operators offer “delay repay” compensation if a train arrives at its destination more than 30 minutes late, but a Which? poll found that just 34 per cent of passengers actually claimed when they were entitled to a refund.

The ORR said the industry had recently taken “positive steps” such as signing up to a code of practice on providing clear information to passengers, but it admitted that “passenger awareness of how and when to claim compensation is low”. A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train firms and the infrastructure company Network Rail, claimed that compensation had become “increasingly generous and easy to apply for”.

A super complaint can be issued by groups such as Which? when the interests of consumers are being “significantly harmed”.

The ORR must respond within 90 days.