Train delay compensation payouts on the rise as Northern faces

Between July 21 and October 12 2019 the number of complaints closed was 1.4 million, a 13.2 per cent increase on the same period in 2018.

The Office for Rail and Road, which published the statistics, said that the reason for the increase was likely to be because several rail operators switched to a different compensation scheme last year, which means the threshold is 15 minutes rather than 30.

Earlier this month the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he could strip Northern rail of its franchise.

In a written ministerial statement Grant Shapps said: “Passengers in the north have had to put up with unacceptable services for too long.We understand how frustrating this has been for people and we are taking action to make sure that performance improves.”

The firm runs the majority of services that travel through stations in the Wakefield district.

Office of Rail and Road figures show just 56 per cent of Northern trains arrived at stations within one minute of the timetable in the 12 months to December 7, compared with the average across Britain of 65 per cent. The chaotic introduction of new timetables in May 2018 saw hundreds of trains a day cancelled.

Last week Mr Shapps said in statement Northern has the finances to continue only “for a number of months”

A decision on the franchise will be made on January 29, he said.

In numbers:

Of that number of claims closed, 84.5 per cent of claims were approved by train operators within the period.

Overall 98 per cent of train delay compensation claims were closed within 20 working days, the new figures show.

There were 1.4 million delay compensation claims closed by train firms between July, 21 and October 12, according to the Office of Rail and Road.