Wondering how to refund a train ticket? Here’s all 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.

If you don’t have an account, simply email our refunds team with your booking reference and let us know which tickets you would like refunded.

Collected tickets

Email us your booking reference number and images of the unused tickets you’d like to refund. Cut your tickets diagonally through the centre before taking a photo so they can’t be used. The photo should show the date of travel, origin and destination stations and the price of the ticket clearly visible. If this information is unclear or cannot be read your refund application will be invalid.

Please keep your tickets in case we need them in order to process the refund. In some circumstances, you may need to post the physical tickets to us.

Conditions

• Flexible tickets such as Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak train tickets are refundable
• Tickets are refundable up to 23:59 the day before they become valid
• For Open Return tickets, once the Outward portion is valid for travel, both the Outward and Return portions of the ticket are no longer refundable
• Tickets bought on the day of travel are non-refundable
• Card payments take 3-5 working days to reach your account once the refund has been processed

Exceptions

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.

Advance tickets non-refundable, except in cases where service disruption prevents you using your ticket. You can amend your ticket in your account with SmartSwap in the trip details.

Find out more about amending your Advance ticket to a different date or time.

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 our refunds help page.

Full Terms and Conditions relating to National rail ticket refunds are available in the National Rail Conditions of Travel.