Rail passengers ‘to be denied compensation’ over month of disruption

THOUSANDS of passengers in the south of England who face a month of rail disruption because of the partial shutdown of one of London’s busiest railway stations will be denied the right to full compensation.

Almost half of the platforms at London Waterloo are being closed for more than three weeks leading to disruption across south London, Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire, Wiltshire and Dorset.

Seven stations across the South West Trains network will be shut altogether during the work, while a further 20 stations will be running significantly fewer trains.

In total, 190 stations will be unusually busy at peak times. Despite the scale of the disruption, it emerged yesterday that many passengers will be unable to claim full compensation because of rules that allow operators to run a significantly reduced service as long as they have warned passengers in advance.

It means season ticket holders, including those paying up to £10,000 a year, and normal ticket holders will only be able to claim compensation for delays against the reduced timetable. It has also emerged that enhanced compensation measures will be suspended amid concerns that it would cost the line’s new operator too much.

David Sidebottom, passenger director at Transport Focus, said: “Current season ticket holders receive no compensation and other passengers have to be an hour late to qualify. We are calling on the Government and industry to review this arrangement.”

A South West Trains spokesman said: “Following discussions between South West Trains, the incoming operator First/mtr, and the Department for Transport, it has been decided that current passengers’ charter compensation arrangements will apply for the duration of the works.”