{"id":477321,"date":"2026-04-15T19:35:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T18:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/?p=477321"},"modified":"2026-04-15T20:27:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T19:27:47","slug":"could-thameslink-this-year-be-hit-with-over-a-million-passenger-complaints-and-compensation-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/london\/could-thameslink-this-year-be-hit-with-over-a-million-passenger-complaints-and-compensation-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Thameslink this year be hit with over a million passenger complaints and compensation claims?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Passengers claiming compensation over delays on trains run by Govia Thameslink could reach a million, just weeks before to being nationalised, <em>writes Rich Brann&#8230;  <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The London-based operator has received more than 800,000 compensation claims so far this financial year, putting them at serious risk of seeing over a million claims in 2025-26. <\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"69959\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448384\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">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<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>According to statistics from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) it would mark the worst year for delay claims since the pandemic and the 2018-19 <a href=\"https:\/\/commonslibrary.parliament.uk\/research-briefings\/cdp-2018-0154\/#:~:text=Together%2C%20these%20issues%20meant%20that,the%20biggest%20impact%20on%20services.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">disastrous rollout<\/a> of a new timetable, which led to a whopping 1.6 million compensation claims. On that occasion the company faced a \u00a35 million fine, and an independent inquiry criticised the operator. It is the largest train operator in the country, running services across South London and as far north as Cambridge and Bedford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-southwark-news wp-block-embed-southwark-news\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"PUW6T9IhOeHXKiaJzEyQOB9ZyAPpfpGjSDLdcoL7sv1lKj25StIr8FQD2FaU6w4YgBR0mor3z7stN0e8Mqd5X\"><blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"5RvWw2yxc6\"><a href=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/bermondsey\/south-bermondsey-station-reopens-with-new-platforms-to-make-them-less-bouncy\/\">South Bermondsey station reopens with new platforms to make them less &#8216;bouncy&#8217;<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8220;South Bermondsey station reopens with new platforms to make them less &#8216;bouncy&#8217;&#8221; &#8212; Southwark News\" src=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/bermondsey\/south-bermondsey-station-reopens-with-new-platforms-to-make-them-less-bouncy\/embed\/#?secret=MoPSB6Js72#?secret=5RvWw2yxc6\" data-secret=\"5RvWw2yxc6\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>However, Thameslink have maintained that a rise in passenger numbers by 6% in the past year, alongside significant instances of trespassing and engineering failures outside of their control, helped explain this rise in passenger dissatisfaction.<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"68153\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448385\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">PGRpdiBpZD0ic291dGgtNDA4OTcwMzAxNCIgY2xhc3M9InNvdXRoLWNvbnRlbnQgc291dGgtZW50aXR5LXBsYWNlbWVudCIgc3R5bGU9Im1hcmdpbi1sZWZ0OiBhdXRvO21hcmdpbi1yaWdodDogYXV0bzt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOiBjZW50ZXI7Ij48IS0tICAvMTU0NzI1MDcwLDIyNjk0MTk2OTY5L3NvdXRod2Fya25ld3Mvc291dGh3YXJrbmV3cyAtLT4NCjxkaXYgaWQ9ImRpdi1ncHQtYWQtMngxIj4NCjxzY3JpcHQ+DQpnb29nbGV0YWcuY21kLnB1c2goZnVuY3Rpb24oKSB7IGdvb2dsZXRhZy5kaXNwbGF5KCdkaXYtZ3B0LWFkLTJ4MScpOyB9KTsNCjwvc2NyaXB0Pg0KPC9kaXY+ICAgICAgICAgIDwvZGl2Pg==<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>Louis Rambaud, Chief Customer Officer, Govia Thameslink, said: \u201cOver the rail year 25\/26, we saw a slight increase in Delay Repay claims compared to the previous year,&nbsp;which reflects the increase in journeys being carried out across the GTR network&#8230;we encourage customers to claim for any delay they experience of 15 minutes or more and payments are made even when the root cause is completely outside of our control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhilst our ratio of complaints is well below the industry average, we know that any delay to a service, whether big or small, has a huge impact on our customers &#8211; that\u2019s why we\u2019ve taken sustained action to strengthen how we plan, resource and run our railway, resulting in fewer cancellations and improved punctuality.&#8221;<\/p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-tcf=\"waiting-for-consent\" data-id=\"71156\" data-bid=\"1\" data-placement=\"448386\" data-no-track=\"impressions\">PGRpdiBpZD0ic291dGgtMTk0NTY1MTQwMyIgY2xhc3M9InNvdXRoLWluLWFydGljbGUtbXB1OSBzb3V0aC1lbnRpdHktcGxhY2VtZW50Ij48IS0tICAvMTU0NzI1MDcwLDIyNjk0MTk2OTY5L3NvdXRod2Fya25ld3Mvc291dGh3YXJrbmV3cyAtLT4NCjxkaXYgaWQ9ImRpdi1ncHQtYWQtbXB1OSI+DQo8c2NyaXB0Pg0KZ29vZ2xldGFnLmNtZC5wdXNoKGZ1bmN0aW9uKCkgeyBnb29nbGV0YWcuZGlzcGxheSgnZGl2LWdwdC1hZC1tcHU5Jyk7IH0pOw0KPC9zY3JpcHQ+DQo8L2Rpdj4gICAgIDwvZGl2Pg==<\/script>\n\n\n\n<p>The operator is due to be nationalised next month, transferring into the hands of the government. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The last two months of 2025 left <a href=\"https:\/\/dataportal.orr.gov.uk\/statistics\/passenger-experience\/delay-compensation-claims\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/dataportal.orr.gov.uk\/statistics\/passenger-experience\/delay-compensation-claims\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">most UK passengers worse off<\/a> overall for delays, with 13% more train travellers making a claim for money back compared to the same period in 2024, though Thameslink performed worse than the average with 22%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There have <a href=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/borough\/multiple-rail-incidents-cause-train-travel-chaos-across-south-london\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/area\/borough\/multiple-rail-incidents-cause-train-travel-chaos-across-south-london\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">been multiple recurring issues<\/a> with signalling infrastructure at City Thameslink station in Central London, with the key section between Blackfriars and London St. Pancras creating a bottleneck where delays can have a massive knock-on effect on outlying services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-tiktok wp-block-embed-tiktok\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"O1YamHLTvJldk\"><blockquote class=\"tiktok-embed\" cite=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@southwarknews\/video\/7570036547148451094\" data-video-id=\"7570036547148451094\" data-embed-from=\"oembed\" style=\"max-width:605px; min-width:325px;\"> <section> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"@southwarknews\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@southwarknews?refer=embed\">@southwarknews<\/a> <p>Nathan from Herne Hill says his commute can take up to FIVE HOURS? \u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014 His travel options are limited when the lifts pack up because so few stations in the area have step-free access.  It comes after \u00a365 million earmarked for step-free upgrades was not spent in the five years to 2024, as revealed by the Disability News Service. Southeastern, which controls the station, said:  \u201cWe\u2019re really sorry the lift at Herne Hill is out of service. The issue was caused by water getting into the lift shaft, and our team is working with contractors to get it fixed as quickly as possible. \u201cThe good news is that the repair doesn\u2019t need scaffolding, which means it should take less time. If everything goes to plan when contractors are on site this Friday, we\u2019re hopeful the lift will be working again by the weekend. \u201cWe know how essential step-free access is, and we\u2019re especially sorry for the impact this has had on passengers who\u2019ve faced long diversions or had to rely on alternative transport. Our lifts are remotely monitored so we can respond to issues as swiftly as possible when they arise and we are doing everything we can to get the lift back up and running as soon as possible.\u201d <a title=\"hernehill\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/hernehill?refer=embed\">#hernehill<\/a> <a title=\"transport\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/transport?refer=embed\">#transport<\/a> <a title=\"southwark\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/southwark?refer=embed\">#southwark<\/a> <a title=\"news\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/news?refer=embed\">#news<\/a> <a title=\"london\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/tag\/london?refer=embed\">#london<\/a>      <\/p> <a target=\"_blank\" title=\"? original sound - Southwark News\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/music\/original-sound-7570036548956064534?refer=embed\">? original sound &#8211; Southwark News<\/a> <\/section> <\/blockquote> <script async src=\"https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Passengers claiming compensation over delays on trains run by Govia Thameslink could reach a million, just weeks before to being nationalised, writes Rich Brann&#8230; The London-based operator has received more than 800,000 compensation claims so far this financial year, putting them at serious risk of seeing over a million claims in 2025-26. According to statistics [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18930,"featured_media":461839,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":{"format":"standard","override":[{"template":"1","parallax":"1","fullscreen":"1","layout":"right-sidebar","sidebar":"default-sidebar","second_sidebar":"default-sidebar","sticky_sidebar":"1","share_position":"top","share_float_style":"share-monocrhome","show_share_counter":"1","show_view_counter":"1","show_featured":"1","show_post_meta":"1","show_post_author":"1","show_post_author_image":"1","show_post_date":"1","post_date_format":"default","post_date_format_custom":"Y\/m\/d","show_post_category":"1","show_post_reading_time":"0","post_reading_time_wpm":"300","post_calculate_word_method":"str_word_count","show_zoom_button":"0","zoom_button_out_step":"2","zoom_button_in_step":"3","show_post_tag":"1","show_prev_next_post":"1","show_popup_post":"1","show_comment_section":"1","number_popup_post":"1","show_author_box":"1","show_inline_post_related":"1"}],"image_override":[{"single_post_thumbnail_size":"crop-500","single_post_gallery_size":"crop-500"}],"trending_post_position":"meta","trending_post_label":"Trending","sponsored_post_label":"Sponsored by","disable_ad":"0","subtitle":"The operator is due to be nationalised next month, transferring into the hands of the government."},"jnews_primary_category":{"id":"9635"},"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":{"view_counter_number":"0","share_counter_number":"0","like_counter_number":"0","dislike_counter_number":"0"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[13539,800,13602],"tags":[975,3296],"class_list":["post-477321","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-london","category-news","tag-thameslink","tag-trains"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18930"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=477321"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":477606,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/477321\/revisions\/477606"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/461839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=477321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=477321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southwarknews.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=477321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}