How to refund a train ticket
Want to refund your train ticket? Here’s what you need to know.
What you need to do
You can refund your tickets from your Railsmartr online account if you have one. Just go to Trips > Trip details and follow the prompts to refund your ticket.
Don’t have an account? No problem. Email our refunds team with your booking reference and tell us which tickets you’d like to refund.
Collected tickets
Collected your tickets from a station? You’ll need to email us rather than requesting a refund through your account.
Email us at refunds@railsmartr.co.uk with:
- Your booking reference
- A photo of each unused ticket you’d like to refund
Before taking your photos, cut each ticket diagonally through the centre so it can’t be used. Make sure the photo clearly shows the date of travel, origin and destination stations, and ticket price.
Please keep your physical tickets until we’ve confirmed your refund. In some cases, we may need you to post them to us.
When can I get a refund?
Flexible tickets
Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets can be refunded up to 23:59 the day before the ticket becomes valid.
Open Return tickets
Once your Outward journey becomes valid, neither the Outward nor Return portion can be refunded.
Tickets bought on the day
Tickets bought on the day of travel aren’t refundable.
Advance tickets
Advance tickets aren’t refundable, unless your train is disrupted or cancelled and you decide not to travel with your ticket. If you’d like to change your journey, you can swap an Advance ticket to a different date or time using SmartSwap.
When will I get my refund?
Once we’ve processed your refund, card payments usually take 3–5 working days to reach your account.
Made a mistake when booking?
If you make a mistake when you book, your ticket may be refundable if you notify us within 15 minutes. Other exceptional circumstances may be considered on a case by case basis. Just contact us and we’ll be happy to look into it for you.
What else to I need to know?
Not sure about the type of ticket that you purchased? It’s detailed in the confirmation email you receive when you book with us. You can also check this information in your online account.
Caught up in disruption? We’re here to help with refunding your ticket if your train was cancelled, seeking compensation if your train was delayed or claiming partial refunds for your return journey. Looking for help with refunding other ticket types? Check out more in our refunds help pages.
Full Terms and Conditions relating to National rail ticket refunds are available in the National Rail Conditions of Travel.