A delay in GWR repay

I enjoyed your GWR special, and the report of Managing Director Mark Hopwood’s award ( RAIL 838).

Perhaps one area where he and his team have been less successful is in customer service, and delay repay claims. They have twice featured in the money problems page of a national weekend newspaper in the past 12 months, with irate customers seeking assistance in getting GWR to respond in a timely way.

My own recent experience is of a delay on July 6, caused by a Network Rail failure between Paddington and Reading. All the GWR staff on the ground were fantastic at helping large crowds to find ways of completing their journey, but the fact remained that I was delayed for over two hours, and therefore I emailed a delay repay claim that night.

Despite four emails, four conversations with customer relations (each of whom told me a different story), and a letter of complaint which has produced a letter of apology and a £10 voucher in recognition of the length of time they are taking to deal with my claim, I have yet to receive the cheque they have repeatedly told me has been raised.

A telephone conversation on October 20 produced an estimate that I should receive the cheque by the end of November! And all this for a cheque for just £30.

I contrast this with my recent experience of putting in a delay repay claim to Virgin Trains East Coast. I had the cheque in my hands ten days after I experienced the delay Tony Eade, Nottinghamshire