Ticket refunds and changes

Delayed by 15 minutes or more? You may be entitled to compensation via Delay Repay.

Ticket changes

If you want to change the time or date of your journey, you can amend most tickets as long as your travel date has not passed. For Anytime, Off-Peak, and Super Off-Peak tickets, changes to the date or time of travel must be made by 23:59 the day before the ticket is valid.

  • Advance: you can change the date or time of your ticket
  • Anytime: you can change the date of your ticket. You can travel at any time on the date your ticket is valid
  • Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak: you can change the date of your ticket. You can also change the time if you need to travel outside Off-Peak/Super Off-peak times
  • Season Ticket changes: you can change the origin and/or destination station on your Season Ticket if you change jobs or move house

Ticket refunds

  • During normal service: if you decide not to travel for your own reasons, you may claim a refund on applicable ticket types that allow a refund, subject to an administration fee of up to £5 per refunded ticket.

  • During disruption: if your train is delayed or cancelled before you start your journey and you decide not to travel, you can claim a full refund (with no admin fee) on your unused tickets.

    We’ll also give you a full refund if your train is delayed or cancelled part way through your journey and you decide to return to your original station instead. The full refund only applies if you didn’t reach your intended destination.

  • Standard Plus upgrades: To claim a refund for your Standard Plus upgrade, contact our customer relations team within 30 days of your journey. You can claim a refund for the Standard Plus upgrade if:
    • the Standard Plus area isn’t accessible for your needs
    • your train didn’t have a Standard Plus area, for example because a different train was used
    • the Standard Plus area was opened to all passengers due to disruption.

For journeys on or after 20 September 2026, if your train has been cancelled, you may not need to change or buy a new ticket.

You can:

  • Travel on another participating train operator's service at no extra cost, using a train that departs up to two hours before or two hours after your cancelled service. This does not apply to planned engineering works or timetable changes advertised before travel.
  • If you no longer wish to travel, you can still apply for a full refund from your point of purchase as described above.

If you arrive late at your destination, you may still be entitled to compensation through Delay Repay.

If you or someone you are travelling with requires assistance on your journey, please speak to station staff or the conductor/train manager so that alternative arrangements can be made. At unstaffed stations, use the Help Point for assistance.

Participating operators include:

  • c2c
  • Gatwick Express
  • Greater Anglia
  • Great Northern
  • LNER
  • London Northwestern Railway
  • Northern
  • Southeastern
  • Southern
  • Thameslink
  • South Western Railway
  • Transpennine Express
  • West Midlands Railway
  • Avanti West Coast
  • Chiltern Railways
  • CrossCountry
  • Great Western Railway

Change or refund your ticket

Answer a few quick questions and we'll show you exactly what to do.

Please select your reason for contacting us today

For full details of the application process:

  1. Select where you purchased your ticket
  2. Choose your ticket type and we’ll tell you if it can be refunded and how to apply. Your ticket type is shown on your ticket or confirmation email

You bought your ticket at a:

  • London Northwestern Railway or West Midlands Railway ticket machine
  • London Northwestern Railway or West Midlands Railway staffed ticket office
  • On board a London Northwestern Railway or West Midlands Railway train

How to apply
  • Staffed stations: you can change or refund your ticket at any London Northwestern Railway or West Midlands Railway staffed station. Station opening hours vary, so check times before you go
  • Post: you can apply for a refund by post. Just send your unused tickets, your payment details and a covering letter with your name and address to:
    FREEPOST
    LONDON NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY
    CUSTOMER RELATIONS

You do not need a stamp. We recommend you request a proof of postage certificate from the Post Office. If they ask you for a postcode, use B3 2ES. Refunds by post can take up to 28 days to process.

What you’ll get back
  • Changes: Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets are flexible, so it's worth checking whether your existing ticket already covers your new date or time before doing anything else. You can change the date/time of your ticket free of charge at our stations if you do so by 23:59 the day before your ticket is valid.
  • Refunds: if you’ve changed your mind or have a personal reason, you can get a refund up until 23:59 the day before your ticket becomes valid, and we’ll deduct a £5 administration fee. You can claim a full refund without the admin fee if your train has been cancelled or delayed and you decide not to travel. If the delay happened mid-journey and you returned to your original station, that’s also fully refundable.

Advance tickets are non-refundable unless your train has been cancelled, delayed or rescheduled and you decide not to travel.

How to apply
  • Staffed stations: you can change or refund your ticket at any London Northwestern Railway or West Midlands Railway staffed station

  • Post (refunds only): send your unused tickets, your payment details and a covering letter with your name and address to:

    FREEPOST
    LONDON NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY
    CUSTOMER RELATIONS

    You do not need a stamp. We recommend you request a proof of postage certificate from the Post Office. If they ask you for a postcode, use B3 2ES. Refunds can take up to 28 days to process

What you’ll get back
  • Changes: you can change the date/time of your Advance ticket at our stations up to 18:00 the day before you travel. A £10 administration fee applies and you will have to pay any difference in price between your Advance ticket and the new ticket
  • Refunds: Advance tickets are normally non-refundable. However, if you’ve bought a ticket for a train that is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled from the published timetable and you decide not to travel as a result, you can claim a full refund on your completely unused tickets with no admin fee

You can get a refund on the remaining portion of your unused Season ticket if:

  • Your Weekly Season ticket has three or more days' validity remaining
  • Your Monthly or Custom Season ticket has seven or more days' validity remaining
  • Your Annual Season ticket has two or more months' validity remaining
  • Your Flexi Season ticket is still within its 28-day validity period
How to apply
London Travelcards, point to point Season Tickets, Flexi Season Tickets and nTrain:
  • Staffed stations: you can change or refund your ticket at any London Northwestern Railway or West Midlands Railway staffed ticket office

  • Post: you can apply for a refund by post. Just send your unwanted Season Ticket with a note outlining the reason for refund and your contact details to our Freepost address:

    FREEPOST
    LONDON NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY
    CUSTOMER RELATIONS

    You do not need a stamp. We recommend you request a proof of postage certificate from the Post Office. If they ask you for a postcode, use B3 2ES.

nNetwork multi-modal Season Ticket:
What you’ll get back
  • All Season Ticket types: We’ll deduct a £10 administration fee from your refund
  • Weekly, Monthly, Custom, Annual: you can apply for a refund before the Season Ticket’s expiry date. We’ll deduct the value of any other tickets you would have used to travel for the same time until you surrendered your Season Ticket
  • Flexi Season: refunds are calculated on the difference between the price of the Flexi Season and the cost of an Anytime return ticket for each day you have used. If you only have one or two journeys left you may find there’s no refund available
  • nTrain, nNetwork Season Tickets: refunds are calculated by Transport for West Midlands

If you forget your Season Ticket, or if it’s lost or stolen and you need to travel whilst waiting for a new one, you should buy a daily or weekly paper ticket for your journey. You can claim back the cost of these replacement tickets up to twice a year.

How to apply:
  • At a station: Take your replacement ticket and Season Ticket to any London Northwestern Railway or West Midlands Railway staffed station ticket office for a refund.
  • Digital replacement tickets (e-tickets): Contact our Customer Relations team online. You’ll need to upload an image of your replacement ticket and an image of your current Season Ticket or Smartcard.

  • Paper replacement tickets: If you can’t get to a station, post your paper replacement ticket to us. We need the original ticket to process your refund. Include a covering note with your name, address, contact details and your Season Ticket or Smartcard number, and send it to:

    FREEPOST
    LONDON NORTHWESTERN RAILWAY
    CUSTOMER RELATIONS

    You don’t need a stamp. We recommend you ask the Post Office for a free proof of postage certificate. If they ask you for a postcode, use B3 2ES.

What you’ll get back:
  • First occasion: Full refund of the replacement ticket cost
  • Second occasion: Refund less a £10 administration fee
  • Third and subsequent occasions within a 12-month period: No refund

If you can’t use your season ticket due to illness or injury, you can apply for a backdated refund. We may ask for evidence to support your claim, such as a medical certificate. Please note that we will not refund your ticket if you use it during or after your illness.

How to apply:
  • Take your ticket to any London Northwestern Railway or West Midlands Railway staffed station ticket office
  • OR contact our Customer Relations team online

You can exchange your Monthly, Custom or Annual Season ticket for one with a new origin, destination or class. This is called a changeover. To qualify, your ticket must be valid for 1 month or longer, with at least 7 days remaining. Your new ticket will keep the same expiry date as the original.

Weekly and Flexi Season tickets can’t be exchanged directly. Instead, surrender the ticket for any refund that is payable (£10 admin fee usually applies) and buy a new one for your route.

How to apply:
  • Take your ticket to any London Northwestern Railway or West Midlands Railway staffed station ticket office
  • OR contact our Customer Relations team online

You bought your ticket from:

How to apply
  • App: log in and select ‘My tickets’ and under the relevant ticket select the relevant ‘Refund your ticket(s)’ or ‘Change Your Journey’ option
  • Website: open your confirmation email and click ‘Manage booking’. If you have an account, log in to see all your bookings in one place
  • Guest checkout: email [email protected] quoting your transaction ID and ticket details
What you’ll get back
  • Changes: Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets are flexible, so it's worth checking whether your existing ticket already covers your new date or time before doing anything else. If you do need a different date, these tickets can't be changed directly on our website. Instead, you can refund your ticket and buy the new one you need (£5 admin fee usually applies).
  • Refunds: if you've changed your mind or have a personal reason, you can get a refund up until 23:59 the day before your ticket becomes valid, and we'll deduct a £5 administration fee. You can claim a full refund without the admin fee if your train has been cancelled or delayed and you decide not to travel, or have to abandon your journey before you reach your destination. Our self-service system can’t process this type of refund, so email [email protected] with your transaction ID and ticket details

Advance tickets are non-refundable unless your train has been cancelled, delayed or rescheduled and you decide not to travel. Changes are only allowed for a different time/date of travel, so you need to stick to the same departure and arrival stations.

How to apply
  • App: log in and select ‘My tickets’ and under the relevant ticket select the ‘Change Your Journey’ option
  • Website: open your confirmation email and click ‘Manage booking’. If you have an account, log in to see all your bookings in one place
  • Guest checkout: email [email protected] quoting your transaction ID and ticket details
What you’ll get back
  • Changes: you can change the date/time of your Advance ticket. A £10 administration fee applies, and you will have to pay any difference in price between your Advance ticket and the new ticket. It is not possible to purchase a cheaper fare than the original and you must change your ticket at least 15 minutes before your original train is due to depart.
  • Refunds: Advance tickets are normally non-refundable. However, if your train was cancelled, delayed or rescheduled from the published timetable and you decide not to travel as a result, you can get a full refund with no admin fee. Our self-service system can’t process this type of refund, so email [email protected] with your transaction ID and ticket details

You can get a refund on the remaining portion of your unused Season ticket if:

  • Your Weekly Season ticket has three or more days' validity remaining
  • Your Monthly or Custom Season ticket has seven or more days' validity remaining
  • Your Annual Season ticket has two or more months' validity remaining
  • Your Flexi Season ticket is still within its 28-day validity period
  • Your Student Season ticket is still within its validity period
How to apply
  • Weekly, Monthly, Custom or Annual Season ticket: log in and follow the instructions under the relevant ticket in ‘My Bookings’
  • Flexi Season: email [email protected] with your transaction ID and ticket details
  • Student Season Tickets: email [email protected]
What you’ll get back
  • All Season Ticket types: We’ll deduct a £10 administration fee from your refund
  • Weekly, Monthly, Custom, Annual: you can apply for a refund before the Season Ticket’s expiry date. We’ll deduct the value of any other tickets you would have used to travel for the same time until you surrendered your Season Ticket
  • Flexi Season: refunds are calculated on the difference between the price of the Flexi Season and the cost of an Anytime return ticket for each day you have used. If you only have one or two journeys left you may find there’s no refund due
  • Student Season Tickets: refunds are calculated on a pro-rata basis. You’ll also need to pay a £10 administration fee

If you forget your Season Ticket, or if it’s lost or stolen and you need to travel whilst waiting for a new one, you should buy a daily or weekly paper ticket for your journey. You can claim back the cost of these replacement tickets up to twice a year.

How to apply:
  • To apply for a refund go to the My Account section of the website and choose get a refund.
What you’ll get back:
  • First occasion: Full refund of the replacement ticket cost
  • Second occasion: Refund less a £10 administration fee
  • Third and subsequent occasions within a 12-month period: No refund

If you can’t use your season ticket due to illness or injury, you can apply for a backdated refund. We may ask for evidence to support your claim, such as a medical certificate. Please note that we will not refund your ticket if you use it during or after your illness.

How to apply:

To apply for a refund go to the My Account section of the website and choose get a refund

You can exchange your Monthly, Custom or Annual Season ticket for one with a new origin, destination or class. This is called a changeover. Your ticket must be for 1 month or longer, with at least 7 days remaining, and the new ticket keeps the same expiry date.

How to apply:
  • Log in and use ‘Change origin/destination’ in My Account
Weekly, Flexi Season and Student Season tickets

These can’t be exchanged this way. Instead, surrender the ticket for a refund (a £10 admin fee usually applies) and buy a new one for your route.

  • Weekly Season ticket: log in and use the ‘Refund’ option in My Account
  • Flexi Season ticket: email [email protected] with your transaction ID and ticket details
  • Student Season ticket: email [email protected]

If your journey was affected by strike action or disruption and you’re unable to claim a refund online please email [email protected] quoting your transaction ID and ticket details.

You bought your ticket from the Transport for West Midlands website, thetrainline.com or another rail ticket website.

How to apply

Contact the retailer directly:

What you’ll get back

Check the retailer’s website for their refund policy and charges

  • Changes: retailers may charge an administration fee of up to £10
  • Refunds: in most cases an administration fee of up to £10 will be deducted

You paid by tapping a contactless card, phone or smart watch. You can tap to pay on National Rail, the Tube, DLR, London buses and London trams, and at a growing number of stations across the South East (including 14 London Northwestern Railway stations).

How to apply:
  • Delayed or cancelled London Northwestern Railway train: if you arrive at your destination 15 minutes or more late, claim Delay Repay from us in the usual way. If a different train company ran the service, claim from them instead.
  • Delayed or cancelled Transport for London service (London Underground, DLR, London Overground, the Elizabeth line, buses or trams): apply through TfL's service delay refund scheme .
  • Incorrect charge (a maximum fare for not tapping in or out, using two cards, tapping in and out at the same station, or going over the time limit): apply through TfL's incomplete journey refund scheme .
What you'll get back
  • Delay Repay (LNR services): compensation based on the equivalent pay as you go single fare. You'll need proof of your journey: sign in to your TfL account , find the journey, and save or screenshot it to send us instead of a ticket. Claim within 28 days of the delay
  • TfL refunds (service delays and incorrect charges): TfL pays the money back onto your card, with no fee. For a late service, the train usually has to be 15 minutes late (30 minutes on the Elizabeth line and London Overground), and you claim within 28 days. TfL doesn't refund delays outside its control such as engineering works, weather, strikes or customer incidents.

You bought your ticket from another train company’s station, ticket machine, onboard their trains, website or app.

How to apply

Contact the relevant train company for tickets bought at the following stations:

*If you bought your ticket from an LNR-branded machine at London Euston, we can refund it directly. Please contact our Customer Relations team online. Tickets bought at the Euston ticket office or from an Avanti-branded machine are handled by Avanti West Coast instead.

What you’ll get back

Visit the relevant train company’s website for refund policies and charges

  • Changes: retailers may charge up to a £10 administration fee
  • Refunds: in most cases an administration fee of up to £10 will be deducted
  • Advance tickets are non-refundable unless your train has been cancelled or delayed and you decide not to travel

Contact us

If you can't find the information you're looking for or need some extra help, please contact our friendly team: