What do I do if there’s a do not travel warning?

If a rail operator gives out a ‘do not travel‘ warning, then you have a couple of options. Let’s go through them, and what you should do during disruption.

What is a ‘do not travel’ warning and where do I find it?

It’s exactly what it sounds like! Train companies will give out a ‘do not travel’ warning when disruption is so severe that it’s likely that your journey will be difficult or impossible to complete. 

You’re still able to attempt to travel if you want to, but you might find that your journey is difficult to start in the first place. You might find that these warnings are given out during severe weather or industrial action, for example. 

You’ll find warnings like these on the dedicated National Rail disruption page. It lists all of the current disruptions like this: 

Usually, the warnings in red are most likely to be ‘do not travel’ warnings. Rail companies will also post them on their social media channels. 

What if I’m part way through my journey?

If a ‘do not travel’ warning is issued while you’re part of the way through your journey, then train companies cannot simply abandon you. They have to do everything reasonably possible to either get you to your destination, or return you to your origin. 

You can find out more about your rights in our guide to disruption. 

Can I get a refund if there’s a ‘do not travel’ warning?

In these situations, you’ll either be able to get a refund or travel on a different day. If you booked with us, then we’ll issue you a refund, without any additional fees. It doesn’t matter which kind of ticket you’ve purchased. This includes if you’ve made part of your journey, but you’ve had to abandon it and return back to your origin station. 

Simply drop our Refunds team an email with your booking reference number and share a brief description of what happened. We’ll be happy to assist and get your money back to you.