Press release -
Automatic delay compensation for Govia Thameslink Railway passengers
As part of plans to modernise one of the most congested networks in the country, train operator Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) has today announced that Thameslink and Great Northern passengers using a key smartcard are now being automatically compensated for delays of 15 minutes or more.
In the coming weeks, the system will also be phased to roll out to the larger Southern and Gatwick Express network, benefiting thousands more people.
The automated system uses complex algorithms after the customer has tapped in and tapped out and will be able to tell if the journey made wasdelayed by 15 minutes or more. If that's the case, it will send an automatic claim to the customer's online account. All the customer has to do is to review the claim for accuracy and confirm the method of payment preferred.
Thameslink and Great Northern's Passenger Services Director, Stuart Cheshire said: "While our punctuality continues to improve for the sixth month in a row, inevitably, there will still bedelays to some journeys. Now, with automatic Delay Repay it couldn't be simpler to get compensation when this happens, but you have to have a key smartcard to benefit from this amazing new system."
Getting a key smartcard is really easy. It's free, it's paperless, it's hassle-free and it's a speedy way to purchase tickets. It only takes a few minutes online to get one and it's delivered within 3-5 working days. Customers can go to thameslink.com/thekey or greatnorthernrail.com/thekey to get theirs.
Southern and Gatwick Express customers will also benefit from automatic Delay Repaycompensation once launched on those networks in the coming months.
ENDS
Editor’s notes
To determine whether a claim can be made, the system uses data that comes from entry and exit taps at the station validators. It compares how long it has taken the customer to complete the journey against how long the journey should have taken. Where there is a discrepancy, it looks to see whether there were any corresponding traindelays/cancellations and if it finds a relevantdelay of 15 minutes or more, a claim will be automatically created.
This method is complimentary to the conventional Delay Repay claim process and does not replace it. Claims for delays of 15 minutes or more can still be made as usual.
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Govia Thameslink Railway
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) operates Thameslink, Great Northern, Southern and Gatwick Express services as follows:
- Thameslink – services between Bedford and Brighton, Luton/St Albans and Sutton, Wimbledon and Sevenoaks
- Great Northern – services between London and Welwyn, Hertford, Peterborough, Cambridge and King’s Lynn
- Southern – services between London and the Sussex coast (Brighton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Bognor Regis, Hastings) and parts of Surrey, Kent and Hampshire (Ashford International, Southampton, Portsmouth)
- Gatwick Express – fast, non-stop direct services between Gatwick Airport and London Victoria
GTR is the largest rail franchise in the UK in terms of passenger numbers, trains, revenue and staff: GTR carries about 326 million passenger journeys per year, and employs around 6,500 people. Its aim is to improve services across all four networks.
Ticket revenue is passed to the government which pays GTR a fee to operate the franchise which is adjusted according to how well the train service is performing.
Southern has the highest passenger growth in the UK with numbers into London having doubled in 12 years - compared with the industry doubling over the past 20 years. To meet this growth and to future-proof the network, GTR is modernising the rail service for passengers.
GTR has introduced more new trains in the past year than all other franchises put together, with 500 new carriages so far.
The transformative £7bn Thameslink Programme will bring hundreds more daily services from 2018, increasing the number of trains though the central London core from up to 15 to 24 trains per hour. Network Rail has also launched a £300m programme to improve resilience across the GTR network
GTR is modernising how it works, with new technology in use at our stations and on our trains, smartcard ticketing and a new, flexible on-board role on many Southern services. This ensures fewer cancellations, and with more staff on board our trains now than ever before, passengers are enjoying a much better level of on-board customer service.
The GTR investment programme for stations includes funding for more CCTV, toilet refurbishments, new retail facilities, help points and car park improvements – as well as plans for increased motorcycle storage and improved transport integration.
www.southernrailway.com, www.gatwickexpress.com, www.thameslinkrailway.com, www.greatnorthernrail.com
