Ticket refunds are changing from 1 April
From 1 April 2026, the National Rail Conditions of Travel are changing. These changes will apply across the rail industry. Please see below for more information.
Ticket refunds from 1 April 2026
Anytime, Off-Peak, Super Off-Peak, One-Day Travelcards and most Rover and Ranger tickets, will only be refundable up to 23:59 the day before they become valid for travel.
If you buy a ticket on the day, these ticket types will be non-refundable.
What is not changing?
- If your train is delayed or cancelled, your right to a refund or compensation remains the same
- Advance tickets and season tickets are not included in the change – their existing refund rules continue to apply
- Tickets bought before 1 April 2026 will keep their existing refund conditions.
From 1 April 2026, if it is already the day of travel or later, for the ticket types listed above, refunds will no longer be available unless exceptional circumstances apply, CrossCountry’s Customer Relations team will assess this on a case-by-case basis. You can contact our team here.
Find out more on the National Rail website.
Refunds and amending tickets
Your ticket can be refunded if your service has been delayed or cancelled. For tickets purchased with us using our site, CrossCountry app, Seasons site or telesales, please refer to the information on refunds below. Otherwise, please contact your original retailer.
Ticket type | Can I change my ticket? | Can I get a refund? |
Advance train tickets | You can amend your Advance train ticket without paying an admin fee with CrossCountry. You may change your date and time of travel, but your origin and destination must remain the same. Any changes must be made before 18:00 the day before the original travel date. | Advance tickets are not refundable. However, if the train you purchased a ticket for is cancelled a refund will be provided. |
Season tickets can be refunded at any time, but there must be at least three days remaining on a weekly Season ticket, or seven days remaining on a monthly or longer Season ticket to obtain a refund. Refunds are not pro-rata as the unit cost of a Season ticket decreases as the period of validity increases. Annual Season tickets have little to no refund value if they have been used for more than 10 months, 12 days.
To request a refund for your Season ticket please contact our Web Support team on [email protected].
Ticket type | Can I change my ticket? | Can I get a refund? |
All other tickets with the exception of Season tickets | As your ticket is flexible, please check to see if it is valid for when you would like to travel. The date can be changed on walk-up tickets up to departure if you bought them on or before 31 March 2026. From 1 April, date changes can only be made up to 23:59 the day before the ticket becomes valid for travel. | A £5 admin fee applies. A refund must be claimed within 28 days of the ticket expiry. From 1 April 2026, walk-up tickets will only be refundable up to 23:59 the day before they become valid for travel. The £5 admin fee will not apply for service cancellations. |
Please note refunds can take up to 5 working days to process once received by our team.
If you have a paper ticket and wish to make a refund, please contact Web Support and they will provide directions on how to process.
Next steps
You can change your ticket in the My Account section of our site or mobile app. If you purchased your ticket without being logged into your account or do not hold an account, you can register and add your guest booking to your account by following the “Login to manage your booking” link, found at the bottom of your confirmation e-mail. Alternatively, please contact Web Support.
If you are applying for a refund due to a service cancellation please contact Web Support using the contact information above.
Delay Repay
If your train is delayed and you want to know how late a train must be for a refund, here's what you need to know: We strive to offer the most punctual service possible, but sometimes delays happen. In line with our Passenger Charter and the National Rail Conditions of Travel, if your train journey is delayed by 30 minutes or more to the destination on your ticket, you will be eligible for compensation.
You can find our Delay Repay service here.
