New rules about the rights of passengers whose trains are cancelled have come into force, affecting nearly all English train operators.
Passengers whose trains are cancelled can now use other services without any further charge or the need to rebook.
A more restricted version of the scheme had already included the renationalised operators, but now most of the remaining private sector operators – Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry and Great Western Railway – are also taking part.
At the moment, the rules do not include ScotRail, Caledonian Sleeper, Transport for Wales or East Midlands Railway, although the Department for Transport said EMR will ‘join the scheme at a later date’. It has not explained why EMR is not part of the latest version of the scheme.
Passengers will need to show their original ticket to revenue protection staff on their new service as proof of purchase, but will not need to buy a replacement ticket.
Rail minister Lord Hendy said: ‘This is a simple, common-sense change that puts passengers first. No one should be left stranded because of a fragmented railway when their journey is disrupted. From this weekend, if your train is cancelled, you can get on another operator’s service and carry on your journey without paying again.
‘We’re fixing the railway from the ground up, making it simpler, fairer and easier to use, as we move towards Great British Railways and put public service back at the heart of our railways.’
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