Rail passengers are being urged to claim compensation for every delay they encounter after missing out on £100m in payouts every year, according to the UK's transport watchdog.
Transport Focus say that passengers 'must' claim their entitled compensation to send a message to train operators that reliability must keep improving.
In launching their new campaign, Make Delay Pay, the chief executive of the watchdog, Anthony Smith, said: "Too many rail passengers miss out on compensation for late-running trains. When things go wrong train operators must ensure every eligible passenger knows about Delay Repay and how to claim."
Their research found that 35 per cent of passengers claimed £81m in 2017-18, meaning that as much as £100m remains unclaimed from train operators every year.
Journeys delayed for more than 30 minutes or more led to just 39 per cent of passengers claiming compensation, with only 18 per cent of passengers claiming for delays of 15 minutes or more.
Mr Smith also said operators must do more to make it easier to claim and to "automate this process wherever possible," which is why the watchdog are campaigning to make the compensation process quicker and easier, including the choice of donating claims to charity.
They also ask that rail companies do more to promote when passengers can request for their money back.
How to claim compensation
As part of the Delay Repay campaign, you can now claim directly through the Delay Repay website.
Select your train operator from the list to start your claim, however if they aren't on the list and don't offer this service, you will need to go to their website directly.
When submitting your claim, you will need to provide: a copy of your ticket or proof of purchase, details of the stations you travelled to and from, as well as the time and date of travel.
