Commuters waiting more than six weeks for season ticket refunds, warns watchdog

Some passengers are waiting six weeks or more for a refund on their season ticket, according to an independent transport watchdog.
Pictured, passengers board trains at Leeds train station. Photo credit: SWNSPictured, passengers board trains at Leeds train station. Photo credit: SWNS
Pictured, passengers board trains at Leeds train station. Photo credit: SWNS

More than a third of passengers have not yet received a refund on their season ticket, according to results from a new survey.

Transport Focus also found six out of ten passengers hadn’t been kept informed how long their claim could take.

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Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: "While the majority passengers have received a refund, six weeks on from applying others are still out of pocket and in the dark".

Pictured, Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdogTransport Focus. Photo credit: otherPictured, Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdogTransport Focus. Photo credit: other
Pictured, Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdogTransport Focus. Photo credit: other

The independent watchdog also found only half of rail passengers satisfied with how their refund has been handled and for a third of passengers the level of refund was less than they expected.

However, almost 60 per cent of rail season ticket holders who had requested a refund had received one.

John Legrove, from Glossop, who normally travels into Manchester on Northern rail said he has yet to receive his refund for £720 more than eight weeks on from making a claim.

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The recent findings follow on from the Department for Transport's announcement in March that commuters with rail season tickets will get a refund as part of the Government’s rescue package.

While operators are under huge strain following the unprecedented demand for refunds, Transport Focus said improvements are needed in the way train operators communicate the refund process.

It is calling for train operators and the Department for Transport to prevent a scenario where people who have bought a new ticket cannot pay their credit card bill because they are still waiting for a refund on their old season ticket.

Mr Smith said: "Operators must reassure passengers on how long they can expect their refund to take and when they can realistically expect to see the money back in their bank account."

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In response the Rail Delivery Group, which represents the rail industry, told The Yorkshire Post from 17 March to 14 May, train companies have given 2.8 million refunds, worth over £247m, and have refunded 109,000 season tickets, compared with 79,000 in 2019.

They said refunds may also take slightly longer to process weekly or monthly season tickets that have already expired as they will need to calculated manually from last time they were used.

Jacqueline Starr, chief operating officer, for the Rail Delivery Group said: "Train operators are working hard to process an unprecedented number of refunds as quickly as possible and in the last two months over 109,000 season tickets have been refunded, which is more than the entirety of last year.

"We thank people for their patience as refunds are processed during these exceptional times and we have doubled the number of staff processing refund claims, extended the claims period to 8 weeks and are backdating refunds."

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