Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to include a requirement to operate an automatic Delay Repay scheme in future rail franchise agreements.

We want train operators to make claiming compensation for delays as swift and simple as possible for passengers. We have encouraged better promotion and increased awareness of Delay Repay compensation schemes and we have encouraged train operating companies to make the claims process simple and easy to use, using automation where appropriate – by using a simple online claim process and providing new ways of making claims, for example, by smartcards, by smartphones using an ‘App’ or by other means. We welcome the fact that all train operating companies now have a dedicated online claim process.

Rail passengers are more willing and able than ever to demand and get fair compensation if their train is late or cancelled, with over £73m paid out to successful claimants in 2016/17 – an increase of 63.8% on the 2015/16 total of £44.9m.

We are improving rail passenger compensation by introducing Delay Repay from 15 minutes (DR15), which is being rolled out across the network as franchise contracts come up for renewal.