No plans for automatic refunds for rail season ticket holders says Northamptonshire MP

Rail season ticket refunds are being made ‘easier’ to claim online – but a Northamptonshire MP has ruled out automatic refunds for the time being.
Chris Heaton-Harris was answering questions about transport in parliamentChris Heaton-Harris was answering questions about transport in parliament
Chris Heaton-Harris was answering questions about transport in parliament

London Northwestern Railway, which runs trains from Northampton, is encouraging customers who are unable to travel due to the ongoing coronavirus restrictions to claim their season ticket refunds online.

Government advice is that only those making essential journeys should use the trains, and the operator has changed its usual processes to make claiming season ticket refunds ‘easier’ it says.

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London Northwestern Railway has set up a new online form for season ticket holders who purchased their pass at a station to claim, minimising the need for customers to visit a ticket office in person.

Andy Camp, commercial director for London Northwestern Railway, said: “For the majority of people travelling by train is currently off-limits, so we are doing all we can to make things easier for our customers to claim refunds on tickets they are no longer using.

“By moving the process for obtaining a refund on station-bought season tickets online we are also reducing unnecessary journeys and supporting important social distancing measures.”

But some politicians have been questioning whether refunds can be made automatically. But Chris Heaton-Harris, the MP for Daventry and a Minister of State for the Department for Transport, said that plans to do that were not in the pipeline.

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Responding to a question from Labour MP Rosie Duffield in the House of Commons on March 31, he said: “The Department has no plans to automatically refund season tickets as key workers on the front line of the COVID-19 response continue to rely on their season tickets to get to work by train. Season ticket holders are entitled to claim a refund, if they no longer need their ticket and should contact their retailer for details.”

The new online refund process for London Northwestern Railway is in addition to previously-announced withdrawal of administration fees for certain ticket types.

For full details, visit www.lnr.uk/coronavirus