Around 1.4million people could be owed a share of £25million in compensation over their South West Trains tickets – but time is running out to claim your share
Over a million train passengers could be due a share of a £25million compensation pot and are being urged to check if they’re eligible now.
If you’ve previously held a Transport for London (TfL) travelcard and travelled on a South West train, you might be owed some cash. But time is ticking, with the deadline to submit a claim for compensation set for January 10, 2025 – just one month away. The compensation is linked to a legal battle against Stagecoach South West Trains, which ran the South Western rail franchise from February 1996 to August 2017, initiated by consumer rights advocate Justin Gutmann.
He argued that SSWT overcharged rail passengers by not adequately informing them about boundary fares, which allow travellers to journey beyond the zones covered by their travelcard without double paying. Gutmann claimed these cheaper fares are “not easily available online” and “rarely offered at a ticket office”, estimating around 1.4million customers could be due compensation.
Despite settling the case for £25million, South West Trains denied any liability. To qualify for compensation, you must have had a valid TfL travelcard between October 1, 2015 and August 20, 2017, and purchased one or more South West Trains tickets for travel from a station within the zones covered by your TfL Travelcard.
There are various levels of compensation that you might be eligible for. If you have no proof of your journeys, you can claim a maximum of six trips at £5 each, totalling a compensation claim of £30, reports MoneySavingExpert.
If you can provide evidence of purchasing a relevant TfL travelcard or fare, you can claim up to 20 journeys at £5 each, amounting to a total compensation claim of £100. If you can provide both proof of your TfL travelcard and the relevant fare, then you can claim the full amount you overpaid based on the number of journeys you took.
You must also have been a resident in the UK between October 19, 2021 and April 30, 2024 to participate in the claim process. You can make a claim for yourself or for someone else you purchased tickets for. The settlement between Mr Gutmann and SSWT is separate from a similar claim against First MTR South Western Trains Limited.
There is nothing worse than being stuck on a crowded train platform in winter with “cancelled” sprawled across the departure boards.
Or to discover that your transatlantic flight to see family for the festive season has been seriously delayed or cancelled. If you have travel plans over the holiday season, make sure you’re prepared with MoneyMagpie’s tips on how to manage changes and claim your money back.
