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Refunds & compensation

  • If you have opted not to take your journey, or are yet to travel, click here

    • Refunds for unused tickets

      If you decide not to use your ticket to make all or part of your intended journey then you may be eligible for a refund. To obtain a refund all tickets must be returned to the place of purchase.

      Advance tickets cannot usually be refunded. They may be amended, however an administration fee of £10 will be charged.

      If you have purchased an Off-peak or Anytime e-ticket from grandcentralrail.com and not activated it, you can obtain your refund automatically by logging into My Account and selecting the ticket you wish to refund. There will be a £10 charge for this service.

      Please make sure that your address is included in your e-mail when applying for a refund or compensation. 

      If you bought your tickets from the Grand Central website, please login to your account to process a refund - please note an admin fee will be charged that will be detailed in the process. Or alternatively send your original tickets to:

      Grand Central Refunds
      PO Box 6625
      Arbroath
      DD11 3RQ

      Tickets must be returned within 28 days of their expiry date. You may be required to pay an administration fee. 

      We would recommend you send the tickets recorded delivery, this is because we do not accept liability for lost or damaged tickets.

  • If you are claiming for a journey you have already taken, click here

    • Delay compensation

      If you are delayed while travelling on a Grand Central train, you may be entitled to compensation.

      The Grand Central delay compensation policy is as follows:

      Delays of 1 to 2 hours 50% of the cost of a single ticket or 50% of the relevant portion of a return ticket.
      Delays of 2 to 3 hours -  75% of the cost of a single ticket or 75% of the relevant portion of a return ticket.
      Delays over 3 hours -  100% of the cost of a single ticket or 100% of the relevant portion of a return ticket.

      Am I eligible for compensation?

      When IS a delay eligible for Charter Compensation? When ISN'T a delay eligible for Charter Compensation?
      • When the delay is by an hour or more.
      • AND the delay is in control/the responsibility of Grand Central, Network Rail, or another train operating company.
      • When the delay is less than an hour.
      • OR the delay is outside rail industry control.

      Eg. Trains cancelled or delayed due to

      ✅ Train faults & failures
      ✅ Lineside equipment issues (not caused by weather)
      ✅ Staff shortages
      ✅ Depot issues/delays

      Eg. Trains cancelled or delayed due to:

      ❌ Person struck by a train
      ❌ Trespass
      ❌ Vandalism
      ❌ Cable theft
      ❌ Severe weather
      ❌ Planned engineering (ie a new timetable was published)


      How will I be paid?

    • Compensation for delayed journeys is offered in the form of PayPal, cheque, complimentary Grand Central single journey or Rail Travel Vouchers. Please detail which method of compensation you wish to receive using the text box in the form below.

      Some causes of delay, such as severe weather or acts of vandalism on the rail network, are not eligible for compensation. Please see our Passenger Charter for more details.

      The levels of compensation described above sets out our general policy regarding compensation but do not in any way limit or exclude your legal rights as a consumer under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 or otherwise.

      We offer compensation via:

      PayPal Compensation will be paid directly to your PayPal account, which can then be transferred to your bank account. Please ensure that the email address provided in the form is the same as your PayPal account email address
      Cheque We will send you a cheque by post.
      Complimentary Grand Central single journey We will send you a unique code which can be used on our website to book a complimentary single journey on a Grand Central train service of your choice, in the class of travel of your original ticket. Codes are valid for one year from the date of issue, for travel on Grand Central trains. Once issued these are not exchangeable for any other form of compensation.
      Rail Travel Vouchers We will send you vouchers by post, which can be exchanged for rail tickets at any station in Great Britain. Valid for 12 months from the date of issue.
      Credit/Debit Card We will call you to process payment of compensation to the credit or debit card used to purchase your tickets. If we cannot reach you, we will email you a request to call us.

      To process your request, we need information about your tickets. The easiest way to do this is via our online compensation form. Please complete the form within 28 days of the date of the delay. A readable, scanned copy or photograph of your ticket is required to make a claim.

      Our customer service team will respond as soon as possible and aim to reply within 10 working days. Should you have any difficulties completing the form, please call us on 0345 603 4852.

      Click here to claim

      Alternatively, you can download our Compensation claim form and post to us at the address below:

      Post:
      Customer Relations Manager
      Grand Central Rail
      PO Box 5871
      Sheffield
      S1 9GP

      Did you buy your ticket from Grand Central?

      We are only able to review compensation requests for tickets that have been made through the Grand Central site or our telesales team. If you have booked via a third party, you will need to attach a copy of your ticket or booking confirmation in the 'Upload a copy of your ticket(s)' field below.