Rail-users can claim for delay refund after change in rules

Tens of thousands of rail commuters will be able to claim compensation for late trains on London's busiest and most expensive routes following a proposed change in the rules.

There was fury when Southeastern passengers missed out on being eligible to claim refunds by just 0.4 per cent.

They would have ben able to claim a five per cent refund on season tickets, some costing thousands of pounds, had train performance for last year fallen below 82 per cent - instead the figure was 82.04 per cent. Southeastern avoided paying only because it included the new high-speed trains into St Pancras in the figures, a move which infuriated passengers.

The change will bring the company in line with other franchises.

Southeastern - which serves Charing Cross, Victoria and Cannon Street stations - has been granted a two year extension to the franchise up to 2014.

Tunde Olatunji, of rail watchdog Passenger Focus, said granting the two-year franchise extension "will be received with mixed feelings by those passengers who have seen a deterioration in performance, sharp fare increases and little or no compensation for the delays".