TfL makes it simpler for customers to get a refund for a delayed journey

20 June 2014
  • Latest step to  improve customer service
  • Customers can now get a refund for service delays through an online Oyster account instead of form filling    
  • Refunds processed faster and more conveniently for customers

Transport for London (TfL) is making it simpler for customers to get a refund through their Oyster online account if their journey is delayed.

Available from Monday (23 June), the new service delay refund process can be used by all customers who have experienced a delay to their journey within TfL's control of 15 minutes or more on London Underground and DLR or 30 minutes or more on London Overground. Online service delay refunds replace the lengthy online and paper charter refund forms that previously needed to be completed each time a delay was experienced.

After signing up for an online account, customers will only need to enter the details of their delayed journey, rather than all of their personal and Oyster or Travelcard details each time they apply.

This simpler process will also speed up payment, with most refunds now being paid within seven days instead of 28 days.

All customers, including those travelling with magnetic paper tickets, will be able to take advantage of this new service.

Customers unable to sign up for an online account can call TfL Customer Services (0343 222 1234) where an account will be set up on their behalf and used to apply for refunds.

This will also create a consistent process across London Underground, DLR and London Overground services, reducing the print and administration costs of manual forms and paying refunds directly back to customers' Oyster cards as pay as you go credit or to a bank account.

Shashi Verma, TfL's Director of Customer Experience, said: "Our transport services are becoming ever more reliable, but we want to make the process for getting a refund simpler and easier for those occasions when there has been a delay within our control.

"We recommend that all customers sign up for an online account, which also allows Oyster customers to view their journey history, fares paid and get a refund for an incomplete journey. Customers will be also able to see the status of their refund."

Customers are eligible for a refund of the single pay as you go fare for a journey, or single cash fare if they bought a single or return paper ticket, if it is delayed for a reason within TfL's control. When acceptance of contactless payment cards is launched across the Tube and rail network later in the year, customers will follow the same process to get a service delay refund. For major disruption, TfL routinely issues automatic refunds to Oyster customers affected which are collected by customers when they next touch in at their regular station.   Registering an Oyster card also provides the additional benefit of having the Travelcard or balance protected if the card is lost or stolen

  • There is no change to the eligibility criteria for a refund. More detail on service delay refunds can be found at this link www.tfl.gov.uk/service-delay-refunds which goes live on Monday 23 June
  • Factors that are not within TfL's control and are therefore not eligible for a refund include security alerts, a customer incident eg person ill on a train, industrial action, planned engineering works and adverse weather conditions
  • Contactless payments on the Tube, DLR and London Overground will be launched later this year. A pilot of around 5,000 customers is currently running, allowing them to use their contactless payment cards on the network ahead of the launch.