Your Rights: Using Transport in London

This page sets out your rights and responsibilities when using transport in and around London. 

We believe that passengers have the right to expect a transport network that is fit for purpose and provides a reasonable level of service. We have set out our aspirations in our own Passengers' Charter. 

We recognise that passengers' entitlements do differ from our aspirations, and therefore this page is deisgned to set out what commitments are made by operators including the levels of service you should expect, claiming compensation, dealing with penalty fares and lost property. 

There are various different rules and pieces of legislation setting out passengers' rights. These can be very confusing, and this page will help you navigate the rules and regulations to ensure you have the best travelling experience possible and to assist you if you have any problems on your journey. 

The best advice is to always check fares and route before travelling to avoid difficulties and ensure you know exactly the compensation to which you are entitled.

There are several ways you can purchase a ticket:

• Station ticket office
• Ticket vending machine
• Various websites
• Oyster ticket agents
• Newsagents
• Telephone 

Your basic rights

When you travel on a train or TfL service, you enter into an agreement with them. The agreement gives you the right to make the journey (or journeys) between the stations or within the zones shown on the ticket. National Rail Conditions of Carriage apply to any domestic journeys and set out your rights and any restrictions. They set out the minimum level of service you should expect. 

Read or download the National Rail Conditions of Carriage

Read or download Transport for London's Conditions of Carriage (including Oyster, buses, underground, DLR, Tramlink and Dial a Ride).  

 Conditions of Carriage set out the minimum level of service to which you are entitled.

However, the Conditions of Carriage only set out minimum standards, all individual train companies and some TfL services have separate Passenger Charters which exceed Conditions of Carriage and which you should always check. 

Claiming compensation

Rail

If your train has been severely delayed or cancelled you may claim a refund from your train operator. Generally, you are entitled to compensation based on the train operator's individual policy set out in their Passenger Charter (found on individual company websites or ticket offices). 

Make sure you claim for the refunds to which you are entitled. You'd be surprised how many people don't!

For rail in London, a typical charter would be:

Delay of 30-59 mins	50% of fare for affected journey
Delay of 60-119 mins	100% of fare for affected journey
Delay of 120 mins +	100% of return fare

Compensation will usually be paid in national rail travel vouchers. However, if you have a monthly or annual season ticket, some companies will only provide compensation if the average punctuality throughout the year falls below a minimum standard rather than based on your actual journey. You must claim with 21-28 days (depending which company is involved). 

London Underground

You can claim if you have been delayed on the London Underground for over 15 minutes if the circumstances are within TfL's control. Compensation is paid in vouchers, and you must claim within 14 days. 

DLR

You can claim if you have been delayed on the DLR for over 15 minutes or if you could not complete your journey. You should receive the single fare for the affected journey. 

Oyster

You should be able to get a refund on lost or stolen Oyster cards, and may also be able to get a refund of your deposit and unused Pay As You Go if you no longer need it. 

Confused about the Oyster statement you receive from the booking office or vending machine? Call the Oyster helpline, on 0845 300 9876 (between the hours of 0800 and 2000), who can supply you with much easier to understand version.   

Penalty Fares

When travelling on public transport, you must ensure that you have a valid ticket. 

A penalty fare can be issued if you:

• travel without a valid ticket in all fares zones
• travel with an incorrect ticket on all fare zones
• travel in first class with a standard class ticket in error
• travel on a child rate ticket when you are overage
• travel beyond your point of destination stated on your ticket
• trespass on a national rail or TfL service

Where an operator believes that you have deliberately evaded your fare, you can be prosecuted for fare evasion. This is a criminal offence, whereas a penalty fare is a civil offence. Passengers may be prosecuted when they use forged tickets, travel in First Class using a Standard Class ticket or fail to purchase a ticket without good reason. Rules differ depending on whether you are travelling on rail, underground or bus. On rail, for example, there is greater scope for error than on bus services.

Appealing against a Penalty Fare

If you think you have been issued with a penalty unfairly, you can appeal to Transport for London, the Independent Penalty Fares Appeals Service or Independent Appeals Service.    

If you have been issued with a penalty fare, you must pay the penalty within the time period specified on the notice (usually 21 days). TfL reduces by half the cost of the penalty fare (from £50 to £25) if you pay within 21 days, while appeal services for rail penalty fares may add administrative fees if you fail to pay within 21 days. Therefore, even if you believe that that the penalty fare should not have been issued, we advise you to pay the penalty fare immediately. If you do not pay immediately, you could end up paying far more for your journey or you could be prosecuted for fare evasion.  If you do incur additional costs, you will only be able to reclaim the penalty and not the administration costs. 

When you incur a penalty fare make sure the penalty fine is paid as soon as possible

If your penalty fare appeal is upheld and you still believe it is unfair, contact London TravelWatch and we investigate your concerns. 

Lost Property and Damage

If you have lost any property on a train or railway station, you will need to contact the train company concerned. If you have left your property on an underground train or station, a bus, a tram, the DLR or a taxi or minicab, you will need to contact TfL.

There is a very high volume of lost property reported, so give a detailed description of the lost item/s. Property is often kept locally for a few days, so you may need to wait before it arrives in a central Lost Property office.

If you are claiming liability for damaged property, the train companies liability does not exceed £1000. 

If you have any advice to share with us, please contact us and we may use it on this page to ensure London's passengers know their rights and make use of compensation schemes, refund entitlements and appeal procedures.