Public Transport Complaints

Rail passengers have specific rights under the National Rail Conditions of Travel. Most train operators participate in the Delay Repay scheme:

• Delay Repay 15: 25% of single fare for delays of 15–29 minutes
• Delay Repay 30: 50% of single fare for delays of 30–59 minutes
• Delay Repay 60: 100% of single fare for delays of 60+ minutes
• Delay Repay 120: 100% of return fare for delays of 2+ hours

Claim Delay Repay online through your train operator's website within 28 days of the delay. For season ticket holders, compensation is calculated proportionally based on the cost of the season ticket.

If a train operator rejects your Delay Repay claim or fails to resolve a complaint, escalate to Transport Focus (the independent watchdog for rail passengers). Transport Focus can review your complaint and press the operator to reconsider. Contact Transport Focus at transportfocus.org.uk or on 0300 123 2350.

Rail passengers also have the right to use the Rail Ombudsman for complaints about train operators and Network Rail. The Rail Ombudsman provides a free, independent binding arbitration service after direct complaint processes have been exhausted.

Bus passenger rights are less codified than rail rights, but passengers still have protections — particularly for scheduled long-distance coach services, which fall under the EU Bus and Coach Regulation (retained in UK law).

For local bus services, complain to the operator first. If the local bus service is run under a local authority contract, you can also escalate to the council. In London, all bus complaints go to TfL.

Transport Focus covers bus passenger complaints in some areas. Bus passengers can also report operators to the Traffic Commissioner if the operator is failing to run services as licensed.

While rail passengers in the UK have relatively well-defined complaint rights under the National Rail Conditions of Travel and Delay Repay, passengers using buses, coaches, and ferries face a more fragmented landscape. This section explains the practical complaint routes for each mode.

Local bus services — complaint routes: For complaints about local bus services outside London, your first step is to contact the bus operator directly using their published complaints procedure. If the service is run under contract to a local authority (which is common for subsidised routes), you can also contact the council's public transport team — councils often have performance standards written into operator contracts and can apply pressure for service failures. In London, all bus complaints go to Transport for London (TfL) at tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact. TfL runs the London bus network and is responsible for service standards, even though the buses are operated by private companies under franchise. For persistent or serious service failures outside London — such as repeated route cancellations, drivers refusing passengers with disabilities, or dangerous driving — passengers can report operators to the Traffic Commissioner for their region. The Traffic Commissioners are statutory bodies responsible for licensing bus operators, and they can investigate and sanction operators who fail to run services as registered. Reports can be made via the Office of the Traffic Commissioner website.

Transport Focus and bus passengers: Transport Focus is the independent statutory watchdog for public transport passengers in Great Britain. While its bus passenger work has historically been more limited than its rail work, Transport Focus does take on bus passenger complaints in several areas — including National Highways (motorway and major A-road) services and some devolved areas. Transport Focus publishes an annual Bus Passenger Survey tracking satisfaction across different regions, and its findings are used to press operators and authorities for improvements. If you have a complex or unresolved bus complaint and cannot get satisfaction from the operator or council, contact Transport Focus at transportfocus.org.uk to see whether they can help.

Coach complaints (long-distance): Long-distance scheduled coach services — such as those operated by National Express, Megabus, and FlixBus — are subject to the retained EU Bus and Coach Passenger Rights Regulation (Regulation 181/2011). This regulation gives passengers rights including: compensation for cancellations or delays of more than 120 minutes (equivalent to twice the ticket price); the right to re-routing or reimbursement for significant disruptions; and minimum standards of assistance (refreshments, accommodation) during long delays. Complain directly to the coach operator first. If unresolved, you can refer the complaint to the operator's ADR scheme or, in the case of disability discrimination, to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Ferry complaints: Ferry passengers on UK routes are protected by the EU Maritime Passenger Rights Regulation (Regulation 1177/2010), retained in UK law. Key rights include: compensation for significant delays (typically 25% of the ticket price for delays of one hour or more, rising to 50% for longer delays); the right to re-routing or reimbursement for cancelled or delayed services; and assistance (meals, accommodation) for overnight delays. Complain directly to the ferry operator first. For unresolved complaints involving UK-regulated ferry services, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is the competent enforcement authority for passenger rights on domestic routes. For international ferry routes, the relevant national authority in the other country may also have jurisdiction. Transport Focus has a role in ferry passenger advocacy for some routes.