Refunds and amendments

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.

How to amend an Advance train ticket

You can amend your Advance train ticket if you're not able to use it. This means you'll be able to swap it for another Advance ticket with exactly the same journey details for a different date or time. Advance tickets are non-refundable unless the service is disrupted or cancelled.

What you need to do

SmartSwap 

If you have an account with Railsmartr you can use SmartSwap to amend your ticket yourself. Simply follow these steps:

1. Login to your Account
2. Go to to 'My trips'
3. Select 'Trip details'
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen
5. Select 'SmartSwap' and follow the steps to change your journey
6. You're all set for your new journey

SmartSwap is available for eTickets only. If you've collected your tickets from the station, please follow the instructions below.

Don't have an Account? Here's what to do: 

1. Book your new Advance ticket for the date and time you'd like to travel (see the Conditions below before you book)
2. Email us your original and new booking reference numbers (WEBxxx), before the departure date and time of your original ticket(s)
3. For collected tickets, send us an image of your ticket(s). Simply cut your ticket diagonally across the centre before you take the photo so it can't be used again. There's no need to do this if you have an eTicket or haven't collected your tickets from the station yet.

Important conditions you need to know

We can only swap your Advance ticket(s) if:

• Your replacement journey is between the same origin / destination stations, following the same route and using the same train operator as your original ticket
• You email us your replacement booking reference before your original train departs
• Both your original and replacement bookings are made through Railsmartr

We'll refund the cost of the cheaper ticket(s) as soon as we pick up your email. During office hours this is usually within a couple of hours. If you need to amend your Advance ticket outside our helpdesk hours, simply book a replacement ticket before your original date and time of travel and we'll amend your ticket as soon as we're back.

Other useful information

Can I change the class of my new ticket? Yes, you can book any class of accommodation (First Class or Standard Class) regardless of your original booking. Can I apply my railcard to my new booking? You can apply your Railcard to either booking but remember that we'll refund the cost of the cheaper ticket. Can I amend Split tickets? Did you book split tickets? Don't worry if they split at different stations, or if one booking contains split tickets and the other doesn't. All that matters is that your origin and final destination stations are the same. Do you have a different type of ticket? Find out more about how to refund your Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak tickets, what to do if your train was cancelled, seeking compensation if your train was delayed, claiming partial refunds for your return journey or for refunding other ticket types on our refunds help page.

Can I get a refund for just the return portion of a return ticket?

If you bought an Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak return ticket and only used the Outward portion, the Return portion of your ticket is no longer refundable.

Can I get a refund if my train was so late that I abandoned my journey?

Yes. You can get a refund if your train was delayed and you chose to abandon your journey. There's no strict definition of how late a train must be for you to be eligible. As per the National Rail Conditions of Travel, Section 30.1, you should return to your origin station. You can process your own refund from your Railsmartr account if you have one. This applies to all flexible tickets. If you have an Advance ticket, simply drop our Refunds team an email with your booking reference number and we'll do the rest. What to remember if your train was delayed

• If you do reach your destination by rail, no matter how late, unfortunately, we can't offer you a refund You'll need to apply for Delay Repay compensation from the train operator that caused the delay
• Get in touch with our Refunds team within 28 days of your travel date for your refund claim to be valid
• We can only give you a refund if you abandoned your train journey altogether.

First Class was full so I had to sit in standard class, what can I do?

If First Class was full and you had to sit in Standard Class, you can claim compensation. What you need to do

• Contact the train operating company you travelled with to claim compensation – you're always entitled to this
• You’ll usually be refunded the difference in price between a First Class and Standard Class ticket for your journey
• If you have any problems making your claim, you can get in touch with us – we’ll step in to help!

For full details, please check the National Rail Conditions of Travel.

I wasn’t happy with the First Class service provided on my train

Sorry to hear you weren’t happy with the First Class service provided on your train. The type of First Class service offered can vary quite a lot. Thinking of claiming compensation for your experience? Or maybe you want to know if you'll be getting value for money before booking your ticket? Here are some tips to help you along the way. What you need to know

• The service offered depends on the train operating company, type of train, time of day and day of the week
• Check your train operator's website for a detailed description of what to expect
• You could be entitled to compensation if the service you got was different from the service advertised on the website for your specific journey.

For full details on the First Class service provided on your train and what to expect, please check the National Rail Conditions of Travel.

What happens if I’ve missed the train?

It happens to the best of us. It's frustrating when you've missed your train, but what you're able to do next depends on the type of ticket that you have, and why you've missed the train. 

Missed train due to rail delays

If you've missed the train because of another rail delay, then you're covered. It doesn't matter if you're using separate tickets, either. So long as you've left enough time to change trains, then it's no problem that you've missed the train.  Do you have a flexible train ticket, such as an Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak ticket? No problem. Just hop on the next train, so long as your ticket doesn't have any restrictions on which company you can use. In this case, you might need to stick to the operator on the ticket. If you have an Advance ticket, you can get the next train operated by the same company that's specified on your ticket. If there's widespread disruption, or a very long wait until the next train (over 60 minutes), then you should be accommodated on a different company at no extra cost. You can find out more about your rights in the National Rail Conditions of Travel.  You will be offered First Class compensation if you possess a First Class ticket and there is no First Class on the next service. Claims can be made through the train operating company you are travelling with.

Missed train due to external delays

Have you missed your train because of an external reason, such as an overrunning meeting or traffic congestion? If you have a flexible ticket, that's no problem. Just make sure that your ticket is still valid for the time of train that you want (eg. if you have an Off-Peak ticket and it's near peak time).  If you have an Advance ticket, speak to staff if you can. Officially, you would need to buy a new ticket if you've missed your train. However, if there's been an accident on the roads nearby, or Tube and Metro delays, then staff can show discretion. They might even be briefed to accept tickets if it's affecting a lot of customers. Don't board a train in these circumstances without speaking to staff first. It's highly likely that you'll be asked to buy a new ticket, or face a Penalty Fare.   

Can I get a refund for my Advance ticket?

Advance tickets are non-refundable, but there are a few exceptions which entitle you to claim your money back.

Exceptions:

• Your train has been cancelled and you decided not to travel
• The train operator advised you not to travel due to service disruptions
• You abandoned your journey as a result of delays
• You started your journey but due to delays or cancellations returned to your point of origin and abandoned your trip.

If none of these apply to you and you can't use your Advance ticket, you do have the option to amend your ticket. This means you can exchange your Advance ticket for a different date or time. Whilst most online train ticket retailers make you pay £5 per ticket for this service, we won't charge you a penny.

In all cases, you'll need to contact us, as Advance tickets can't be refunded from your online account. Just let us know your booking reference (and your new booking reference if you're making an amendment) and we'll do the rest. More details on how to amend Advance tickets are available here.

Can I get a refund for group discounted tickets?

Groupsave discounted tickets can be refunded, provided that they are Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak tickets. You can do this within your Railsmartr online account if you have one. If you don't, then you can contact us with your booking reference.  If you have Advance tickets with a group discount, then they aren't refundable. Instead, you can amend them for a different date and time if you wish. You can see how to amend Advance tickets on our dedicated page. You'll need to contact us with your old and new booking references.

Can I claim train delay compensation?

If you experience disruption during your journey, then you're usually entitled to train delay compensation. With some operators, you're entitled to compensation once this delay exceeds 15 minutes, but it could be as high as 60. 

When you're claiming compensation, it'll always need to be done through the operator that delayed you, which is usually the one that you were booked to travel with. 

There are some exceptions to when you can claim train delay compensation. The first one is if planned disruption caused a delay. For example, if your train was planned to be diverted or replaced by a bus and you were warned in advance, then you can't claim. We know that replacement buses make things frustrating, of course! You can click here to find out more about what to do when there's a bus replacement.

The second exception is if an emergency timetable is in place or the cancellation was added to the timetable no later than 10pm the day before. This usually means that a train has been 'removed' from the timetable rather than cancelled. 

While officially this means that you can't claim, we would encourage you to still contact the operator in these cases if you're delayed. If we're made aware of the cancellation in advance, then we'll email you and let you know. You'll be entitled to claim a refund if you prefer not to travel on an earlier or later train. 

Click here to find out more about delay repay on the National Rail website. You'll find links to each operator and how to claim compensation from each of them. 

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 partway 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. If you've used a flexible ticket, such as Off-Peak or Anytime, then you can get your refund through your Railsmartr online account if you have one. If you have an Advance ticket, 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 you and get your money back to you. Remember, if you choose to travel and manage to complete your journey with a delay, then you'll need to claim Delay Repay, instead.

Can I refund my ticket if I haven’t used it?

Yes, we can refund your ticket if you haven't used it. It doesn’t matter why, we’ll refund it for you if it's an Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak ticket. You can do this on your Railsmartr account if you have one. There's no need to get in touch with us. We won't charge you any extra fees.  Please note that we can only refund tickets that have not been used. If you've used your ticket, then we won't be able to refund it. If you suffered a delay on your trip, then you'll need to claim Delay Repay instead.  Advance tickets are not refundable but they can be amended to a different date or time if you let us know before you were due to travel. You can request a change of journey by getting in touch with us. 

The Book with Confidence scheme has ended, what now?

The Book with Confidence scheme ended on December 1, 2022. That doesn't mean that anything has changed when you book with Railsmartr, though! You've always been able to get a fee-free exchange for your Advance tickets and we're still going to offer it. 

To take up this offer, simply follow these steps:

1. 1. Book your new journey on Railsmartr.co.uk using the conditions below.
   2. Email our refunds team with your new and original booking reference numbers. Remember to send this to us no later than 6pm the day before your original train is due to depart.
   3. We'll refund your original booking and send an email to let you know when this is done.

Conditions of refund

It's important that you read this before you book your new tickets. You must:

• • Book your new ticket(s) with the same train operator and origin & destination stations as your original ticket.
  • Get in touch with us via email with your new booking details no later than 6pm the day before you are due to travel. If you contact us after this time, standard terms relating to Advance ticket exchanges will apply.

You may exchange your Advance ticket for any ticket type, including Advance, Off-Peak or Anytime. If you choose a journey costing more than your original one, you will need to pay the difference in price. If the new fare is cheaper, we won't refund the difference. 

We're committed to our 'no extra charges' policy, so we'll never ask you to pay refund or amendment fees.

Here at Railsmartr, we always want you to be able to book with confidence. So even though the Book with Confidence scheme has ended, you can still change your plans and remain flexible.  

Find out more about our standard terms for Advance ticket amendments and refunds for all other types of ticket here.

I bought a First Class ticket, but had to travel in standard class – why?

If you bought a First Class ticket but had to travel in standard class, this could be for two reasons.

• First Class was not available
• First Class was full.

On some operators, First Class is not available, nor is it advertised as being available. In a small number of cases (such as if you've booked a ticket for Transport for Wales), your planned train may have been substituted for one that doesn't have First Class. If First Class was full (and you had a reservation), or it was declassified, then you'll be entitled to compensation. This is usually the difference between the price you've paid and the equivalent Standard Class ticket. For full details, please check the National Rail Conditions of Travel.

What if I mistakenly approach the train operating company or train station for a refund instead of Railsmartr?

It can be confusing, but you shouldn’t approach the train operating company or train station for a refund. If you've chosen not to use your ticket, then you'll need to claim the refund from wherever you bought your ticket. How to get your train tickets refunded Remember, only flexible tickets are refundable. If you have an Advance ticket, then it's only possible to change it to a different date and time. If your train is cancelled or there's disruption and you choose not to travel, then you can refund it.

• If you have a flexible ticket such as Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak or Anytime, then you can claim a refund through your Railsmartr online account if you have one
• If you have an Advance ticket, then please contact us
• For Advance tickets, we can’t accept amendment requests that don’t reach us prior to the original date and time of travel
• For Flexible tickets, you need to email us within 28 days of your intended date of travel

Find out more about how to get a ticket refund or amendment from us on our help pages. 

How long will it take to process my refund?

If you have a Railsmartr account, then we'll be able to process your refund straight away. It'll then take up to five working days for the funds to reappear in your account. If you need to contact us, then we aim to respond to all refund and change of journey requests by the end of the next working day.

Can I get Delay Repay compensation from Railsmartr?

Unfortunately, you can’t get Delay Repay Compensation from Railsmartr directly. If your train is delayed, you'll need to get in touch with the train operator you travelled with. To qualify

• Your train must be delayed by at least 15 minutes reaching the destination on your ticket. Sometimes it may be at least 30 minutes – this varies by train operator
• Make sure you haven't refunded your tickets – you'll need these for your Delay Repay claim
• Claim with 28 days of your ticket being valid. This can also vary so it's best to check your train operator's website for details.

Who to contact

• Get in touch with the train operating company that caused the delay
• If your journey involved more than one late train operator, you should contact the one that caused your first delay
• Need more help getting the right amount of compensation from the train operators? Just email us, we'll be happy to help.

Find out more about Delay Repay compensation, refunding or amending your ticket on our handy help pages.

Can I get a refund for accompanied child tickets?

Yes. We can refund accompanied child tickets, as long as they are Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak train tickets, and meet all the normal travel criteria. To get your refund, you can do this within your Railsmartr account if you have one. If you don't have an account, just send us an email with your booking reference. If you're looking to get a refund on these tickets, you should know that train operators require one adult to accompany every four children using this type of ticket. So if you're asking for adult tickets to be refunded at the same time, please check you have enough adults to meet the minimum group size. More information is available from National Rail. You can find out more about refunds and ticket amendments on our help page.

Are GroupSave discounted tickets refundable?

GroupSave discounted tickets can be refunded, provided that they are Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak tickets. You can do this within your Railsmartr online account if you have one. If you don't, then you can contact us with your booking reference.  To refund some GroupSave discounted tickets but keep others, the remaining group must meet the GroupSave minimum size of three adults. So, you can refund some of your tickets but the other tickets are not valid if the group travelling is less than three. This means a refund request for 1 ticket out of 3 GroupSave tickets will be declined as it renders the remaining 2 invalid. You can find out more about refunds and amendments on our dedicated help page. 

Does Railsmartr charge a fee for refunding a ticket?

Unlike any of our competitors, we don’t charge any fees for refunding your ticket. If you have a flexible ticket, such as an Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak one, then you can do this straight from your Railsmartr account, if you have one. There's no need to get in touch.  Find out more on how to get a refund for your train ticket in our handy FAQs.