How To Check How Delayed Your UK Train Was?

Train delays are frequently inevitable but can be extremely inconvenient. Nevertheless, passengers can find information regarding the actual train times on some third-party websites. 

In this blog post, we’ll go through how to check delayed train times, what to do if your train is delayed, and how to stay out of trouble like this.

Why Do UK Trains Get Delayed?

The majority of train delays in the UK are caused by traffic jams on the busiest sections of the railway network during rush hours. Delays are caused by these networks’ peak-hour congestion. Bad weather, such as prolonged periods of rain, snow, or hail, is frequently to blame for unavoidable delays. 

Other potential causes for the delay of your UK train include infrastructure problems or performance tests that take longer than usual.

In addition to these, the following factors could not necessarily be frequent but yet result in a delay:

• Broken rail; signals and point failures
• Engineering works
• Speed restrictions
• Vandalism and trespassing
• Fatalities
• Summer heat
• Minor Natural Calamities 

Hence, train delays are caused by multiple factors. Note that most causes listed above are indispensable. 

However, staying updated on actual train arrival times can minimize the impact of train delays on your daily schedule and you can plan your day accordingly.

Let’s find out ways to stay updated on the actual train timings of your delayed trains. Read on!

How To Check Delayed Train Times?

Yes, it is possible to check delayed train times, but not on the UK’s official National Rail Enquiries websites. Actually, you need to use third-party websites having access to the Network Rail’s real-time data feeds, such as Recent Train Times, On Time Trains, Raildar, and so on.

Only live train statuses and trains that are planned for the day can be searched for on the National Rail Enquiries journey planner website. 

There is no way to look up past train times for UK trains. 

So, if the official government website cannot provide you with late train times, you can check your delayed train timings using the following websites:

1. Recent Train Times

Recent Train Times is an excellent tool for researching historical information on your UK train. The upside to this is that you can skip the time spent signing up and get right to searching for the information you need. You can further filter your results using its advanced features as well.

Network Rail’s Open Data Feeds are the source of the data used in Recent Train Times. The Rail Delivery Group’s data is closely supplemented with this data.

How To Use Recent Train Times?

• Fill out the information requested under “Search” on the homepage.
• Choose the time and time period in addition to specifying “From” and “To.” Select “Arrive” from the drop-down menu next to “Time” if your train arrived late.
• Select “Show average & actual times” from the drop-down option under Arrival Times.
• Enter the number of days for which you want the historical information about UK trains in the “display” box. Type “1” in the box to view your train’s data from the previous day, and so on.
• Select the appropriate option and check the box to the left of “Advanced Options” to restrict your search.
• Then click “Search” and type “Get All Train Times.”

2. On-Time Trains

If you need precise information about past train times on your UK train in order to make a compensation claim, On Time Trains is a dependable source. On-Time Trains draws on a variety of open data sources, including National Rail, Network Rail, NaPTAN, ORR, and the Open Rail Data Community.

The majority of this data is updated and refreshed every five to ten minutes, ensuring the accuracy of both the historical and real-time data.

How To Use On Train Times?

• Visit the homepage of the corporate website. There will be two distinct boxes, one labeled “Journeys & Delay Repay” and the other “Stations.”
• Enter the necessary information, such as “From” and “To,” “Time of Departure,” etc., in the “Journeys & Delay Repay” box.
• Next, select the green “Check for Delay Repay” bar located beneath the information area.
• The website will retrieve information regarding services that were delayed at the precise time that you initially filled out.

3. Raildar

One of the most dependable sources for current, pertinent, and reliable rail information about the UK rail network is Raildar, which is used by both regular people and train professionals.

Additionally, there is an application for it on the Apple Store and Google Playstore.

Of the three subscription plans, the “Personal” plan is free. This membership is sufficient to allow you to see how far off schedule your UK train was. Moreover, you do not need to make an account on the website to check late train times.

How To Use Raildar?

• Since you are already registered, go to the homepage and select “History” from the list of service banners.
• You’ll be taken to a different page. Enter the requested data, including the starting station, destination station, month, days of the week, departure time, and arrival time.
• After that, click the option labeled “Get delay repay report.” You will have access to historical information about the UK train service from that day, including any service delays.

4. Trainline

An international platform for digital rail and bus technologies, Trainline is based in London, UK. 

Through its website and mobile app, available on the iOS and Android platforms, it sells train tickets and railcards and offers free access to real-time train schedules and station information.

How To Use Trainline?

• Go to the homepage of Trainline’s website.
• Click the menu on the right side and click “UK trains.”
• Click “Live Train Times.”
• Put the “From” and “To” in.
• Select “Show Departures.”

5. Real Train Times

In order to provide historical information about UK trains as well as real-time live information on the UK’s rail network, Swlines Ltd. developed Real Time Trains in October 2012. The information comes from Network Rail’s open data system as well as other trustworthy sources.

How To Use Real-Time Trains?

• You will see a box labeled “Search For Trains” on the homepage of your desktop or laptop. Visit the search page.
• Select “Detailed” from the options “Simple” and “Detailed” from the Search Mode by tapping on the same.
• Now, enter the information requested. Only historical data for the previous 7 days and projected data for the following 180 days are displayed by Real Time Trains.
• Once the information has been entered, click “Search.”

6. Open Time Trains

One of the simplest websites to navigate is Open Train Times. Open Train Times, which obtains its data from Network Rail, is a “reasonably” dependable site to obtain historical information about your UK train. 

Open Train Times may be reliable when it comes to processing live data, but it is not as accurate as the majority of the other websites mentioned in this article. 

How To Use Open Train Times?

• You can find a blue dialogue box labeled “Search for Trains” on the homepage.
• Include the “From” and “When.” When you choose “When,” a calendar will appear; select the day or date you want the data for from there.
• In essence, the timing is added by adding “At.”
• Select “To the Trains.”

How Do I Get A Refund For A Delayed Train?

You can get some money back if your train is more than 30 minutes late. If your train is more than 15 minutes late, many train companies will pay you compensation.

When is it a Refund?​​​​​​​

Your unused ticket may be refunded without any penalties by the original merchant if your train is delayed and you decide not to go.

When is it Compensation?

You might be able to make a claim for compensation from the train operating firm you are using if you are traveling and encounter a delay getting to your destination because of a canceled or delayed service.

The amount of your compensation will vary depending on the train company you are/were riding with, the type of ticket you have, and how long the delay was until you reached your destination.

To receive a refund, you must keep your train tickets.

Although some train companies permit longer, you should try to submit your claim within 28 days.

If you’re unsure about which railway company you went with or how much you can claim, check your ticket.

Does Your Train Company Offer ‘Delay Repay’?

No matter the cause of your train’s delay, you may be eligible for compensation if your train company participates in the “Delay Repay” program. Find out if your train company offers Delay Repay by visiting their website. They may refer to it as “delay compensation.”

According to the law, you are entitled to:

• If you reach your destination between 30 minutes and an hour late, you will receive a 50 percent refund.
• If you arrive more than an hour late, you will receive a full refund.

Delay Repay 15

A special program called “Delay Repay 15” is offered by some train companies. In these circumstances, if you arrive at your destination between 15 and 29 minutes late, you are entitled to a refund of 25% of the ticket price. 

To see if your train company offers Delay Repay 15, visit their website.

If your train company doesn’t offer ‘Delay Repay’

If the train company doesn’t offer Delay Repay, you may still be entitled to compensation under the “National Rail Conditions of Carriage,” although the amount will be less.

If the reason for your delay wasn’t the railway company’s fault, such as it was severe weather, you won’t receive anything.

You are entitled to the following if you arrive at your location more than an hour late:

• If you purchase a single ticket, you will get fifty percent of the purchase price.
• if you purchase a roundtrip ticket, you will get 25% of the cost of your ticket.
• If you purchased a return ticket and had delays on both trips that lasted longer than an hour, your ticket price would be reduced by 50%.

How To Claim Delay Repay?

You can submit a claim for compensation using the train company’s website. Most likely, you’ll have to upload a photo of your ticket. If you’d prefer, you may send them a letter. You must send your original tickets and provide travel information.

Making duplicates of them is a good idea in case your letter is misplaced; a digital snapshot or scan will do. Within a month, you ought to receive a reimbursement.

Many businesses provide vouchers that can be used on future rail trips. You don’t have to consent to them; you can insist on receiving a monetary return instead.

As you know by now, train delays cannot be avoided and can happen anytime, due to various reasons. To make sure that your day is not wasted and your journey is not affected when your train is delayed, you have an alternative — off-peak trains.

Off-Peak Trains — An Alternative To Potential Delays

When several trains are sharing the same route, one delayed train can delay all the trains scheduled after it. Train delays can significantly affect thousands or even millions of passengers.

Congestion during peak hours is the major cause of train delays. 

One of the things you can do is to avoid these congested, peak routes. 

And how can you do that?

Well, you can opt for traveling by off-peak trains.

What Are The Off Peak Train Times?

Rush hours are the opposite of off-peak train times. Although you might have to wait longer between trains, you can anticipate the least amount of congestion and the lowest prices during these times. A train’s identification as peak or off-peak depends on the direction it is traveling. 

A train operating a route into and out of a major city may be considered operating during a peak period if it runs into the city during the morning rush hour and out of the city during the evening rush hour.

There is a basic thumb rule for what hours are regarded as off-peak, though actual periods may differ depending on the provider.

What Time Does Off-Peak Train Travel Start?

Off-peak typically starts at 9:30 am on Mondays through Fridays, while it starts at 9 am for the remainder of the rail network. Off-peak hours in London are from the first service until 6:30 am, from 9:30 am to 4 pm, and after 7 pm, Monday – Friday.

Off-peak rates are available throughout the country on weekends and bank holidays.

You can use the National Rail journey planner to select your times and tickets to check if off-peak applies to the travel times of your choice.

Train delays can be incredibly annoying. However, some train tracker websites can swiftly and effectively provide clear, precise, and helpful information to help you plan your trip, no matter where you are, when trains are delayed. 

These websites are third-party websites connected with the real-time mechanism of the UK railways.