Watchdog calls for more help and clarity for season ticket holders seeking refunds

01 May 2020

London TravelWatch has called for more action from Government and the rail industry to help people who are no longer using season tickets due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The watchdog has published a new webpage which seeks to answer key questions passengers might have but it is clear that more needs to be done to make the refund process clearer and fairer.

Emma Gibson, Director of London TravelWatch commented: ‘Season ticket refunds are a big issue for passengers but the help and advice available from train companies doesn’t currently go far enough. We realise that these are unprecedented times for the industry but we’re talking about large amounts of money and we don’t want the refund process to be inconvenient or stressful for passengers.

We want passengers with less than three months to go on their ticket to get proper “pro-rata” refunds, to be able to “pause” their season tickets until they need to use them again and for train operators to be allowed to remove the £10 administration fee when a refund application is made. We also want to see more clarity for passengers in terms of how much they will actually get back and how long it will take. We hope that the Government and rail industry  listen to the requests we have made and are able to make some positive changes for passengers.’

London TravelWatch will continue to add to its season ticket refund webpage so that passengers have access to the most up to date information.

Further information

  1. London TravelWatch is the official watchdog representing the interests of transport users in and around London, and independent of the transport operators and government. London TravelWatch is sponsored and funded by the London Assembly, part of the Greater London Authority. 
  2. Follow London TravelWatch on Twitter and YouTube. For more information, please contact the London TravelWatch press office on 020 3176 5941 or 07734 055494.
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