LNER pays Delay Repay from 30 minutes, not 15: if an LNER train gets you to your destination 30 to 59 minutes late you get 50% of a single fare, and from 60 minutes you get 100% of it, with the whole return repaid on a delay of two hours or more. A 25-minute delay pays nothing, because LNER has no 15-minute band. Claim within 28 days of travel using LNER’s Delay Repay claim form, or through One-click Delay Repay if you booked on LNER’s own website or app.
LNER Delay Repay at a glance
| What | LNER’s rule |
|---|---|
| Scheme | Delay Repay 30 (pays from 30 minutes) |
| Time limit | 28 days from the date of travel |
| Automatic claims | One-click, for tickets bought from LNER |
| Claim form | delayrepay.lner.co.uk |
| Rules page | LNER Delay Repay |
LNER is publicly owned and run by DfT Operator Ltd (DFTO). Our Delay Repay guide lists which operators pay from 15 minutes and which from 30.
Why does LNER pay nothing for a 25-minute delay?
Because LNER is on Delay Repay 30. Each operator sets its own scheme in its Passenger’s Charter, and most now pay from 15 minutes (Delay Repay 15). LNER is one of a small group, alongside CrossCountry, that still starts at 30. Its rules page and claim form have no band below 30 minutes, so a 15 to 29 minute delay does not qualify however it was caused.
That explains the common complaint: a friend on Avanti West Coast, which is Delay Repay 15, gets 25% of a single for a 20-minute delay, while the same delay on LNER pays nothing. Some summaries online still call LNER’s scheme “Delay Repay 15”. It isn’t, on any current LNER page.
The national legal floor is lower still. The National Rail Conditions of Travel (condition 32.1) only guarantee compensation for a delay of 60 minutes or more. LNER pays more than that floor from 30 minutes; it just doesn’t go below 30.
If your LNER train was 25 minutes late, there is no Delay Repay to claim. If the train was cancelled and you chose not to travel, that is a refund, covered below.
Is 30 minutes exactly enough?
LNER’s own wording is not consistent. The heading on its Delay Repay page says 30 minutes or more, while the body text and its cancelled-train page say more than 30 minutes. The payout table starts at 30 minutes. We read exactly 30 minutes as qualifying and would claim, but be aware the sources differ and LNER could take the stricter reading.
Am I eligible for LNER Delay Repay?
You can claim when an LNER train makes you reach your destination at least 30 minutes after the scheduled time. Delay is measured at the station you were travelling to, against the timetable in place on the day. It does not matter where you bought the ticket: LNER’s FAQs confirm you can claim on LNER tickets bought through another train company or a retailer such as Trainline.
How much will I get on a single or return?
| Delay at destination | Single | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 minutes | Nothing | Nothing |
| 30-59 minutes | 50% | 50% of the delayed leg |
| 60-119 minutes | 100% | 100% of the delayed leg |
| 120 minutes or more | 100% | 100% of the whole return |
LNER’s claim form puts it simply: for most delays you get either half or all of the single fare for the leg that was late. Only a delay of two hours or more on a return repays both legs.
Season tickets: LNER sets out how it values season and Flexi Season tickets in its FAQs. We could not confirm the current figures on an official page, so we have left them out rather than risk quoting old numbers. Check LNER’s Delay Repay page before you claim on a season ticket.
How to claim LNER Delay Repay, step by step
One-click Delay Repay
If you bought your ticket on LNER’s website or app and opted in to One-click, LNER emails you a link within 30 minutes of a qualifying delay. Use the link to send the claim. LNER says payment then arrives in 3 to 5 days. Your claim history sits in your LNER account.
The online claim form (everyone else)
- Note the scheduled departure time of your train and how late you arrived.
- Open LNER’s Delay Repay claim form.
- Enter the journey details and upload your ticket.
- Choose how you want to be paid. LNER also lets you give your compensation to the mental health charity CALM.
- Submit within 28 days of travel. LNER suggests claiming within 48 hours, while the details are fresh.
If you booked elsewhere, track the claim on LNER’s claim status page.
The 28-day limit is LNER’s version of a national rule. The Conditions of Travel (condition 33.1) count 28 days from completing the journey, while LNER counts from the date of travel. For a same-day journey that is the same thing; if in doubt, count from the day you travelled.
Split tickets and journeys with other operators
LNER’s Delay Repay page doesn’t set out its own rules for split tickets or journeys involving other companies, so the national rules apply. Under the Conditions of Travel, condition 14.2, a set of tickets is valid if your train calls at the station where you switch from one ticket to the next. Condition 32.1 says you claim from the operator responsible for the delay, but you can send the claim to any operator whose trains you used and it will be passed on.
The delay is measured at your final destination, so a late connecting train counts towards your total.
Cancelled trains, strikes and engineering works
When an LNER train is cancelled, LNER (in line with the Conditions of Travel, condition 28.3) lets you take one of the two LNER trains before or after it. Off-Peak tickets that are not tied to one operator also work on any Off-Peak train that day. Your Delay Repay is then based on how late you arrived. One catch: if you take an earlier train that runs normally, LNER pays no compensation, because you were not delayed.
If you decide not to travel at all, that is a refund rather than Delay Repay. The Conditions of Travel (condition 30.1) give you a fee-free refund from wherever you bought the ticket, and you cannot claim both.
LNER’s page has no separate strike rule. National Rail’s guidance is that a delay caused by industrial action that meets the operator’s threshold can be claimed as Delay Repay, which on LNER means 30 minutes. For planned engineering works, delay is measured against the timetable in force on the day, including a replacement timetable published in advance.
Quirks specific to LNER
- Delay Repay 30, not 15. Search questions show many people expect a payout at 15 minutes. LNER doesn’t offer one.
- Two trains, not two hours. After a cancellation LNER follows the national two-trains-either-side rule.
- Earlier train, no payout. Leaving early to dodge a cancellation means no compensation.
- Charity option. You can donate the payout to CALM.
If your LNER claim is refused
Check the reason. If LNER says the delay was under 30 minutes, compare the scheduled arrival with when you actually got in; the threshold is measured at your destination. If your ticket image was rejected, resubmit a clearer one.
Know your floor: under the Conditions of Travel (condition 33.3), any operator must pay at least 50% of a single, or of the affected part of a return, for a delay of 60 minutes or more, whatever the cause. Our Delay Repay guide explains how to take a refused claim further.
Frequently asked questions
Is LNER Delay Repay 15 or 30 minutes?
30 minutes. LNER runs Delay Repay 30, so compensation starts when you reach your destination 30 minutes or more late. There is no 15-minute band on any current LNER page, even though some older sources and summaries describe it as Delay Repay 15.
How much compensation do I get if my LNER train is 15 or 25 minutes late?
Nothing under Delay Repay. LNER's first band starts at 30 minutes, so delays of 15 to 29 minutes do not qualify. Operators on Delay Repay 15, such as Avanti West Coast, do pay for those delays, which is why the rules can seem inconsistent.
How much does LNER pay for delays?
On a single, 50% of the fare for a 30 to 59 minute delay and 100% from 60 minutes. On a return, 50% or 100% of the delayed leg for those bands, and the whole return if you are two hours or more late.
How do I claim LNER Delay Repay if I booked through Trainline or another retailer?
Use LNER's online claim form. LNER confirms you can claim on its tickets bought from another operator or retailer. One-click claims are only for tickets bought on LNER's own website or app.
How long does LNER take to pay Delay Repay?
LNER says One-click claims are paid in 3 to 5 days. For other claims, the National Rail Conditions of Travel say payment is due within 14 days of a claim being agreed.
Do I get compensation if LNER cancels my train and I catch an earlier one?
No. LNER says that if you travel on an earlier train that runs without disruption after a cancellation, no compensation is due, because you did not arrive late.
What if my LNER train was exactly 30 minutes late?
Claim. LNER's pages describe the threshold both as 30 minutes or more and as more than 30 minutes, but its payout table starts at 30 minutes. We read exactly 30 minutes as qualifying, while noting LNER's wording is inconsistent.
Sources
- LNER - Delay Repay
- LNER - Delay Repay claim form
- LNER - Claim status (booked elsewhere)
- LNER - Delay Repay FAQs
- LNER - Cancelled train
- National Rail Conditions of Travel (July 2026)
- National Rail - Compensation and refunds
- National Rail - Industrial action
Checked 25 October 2026.