10 million Tube passengers fail to claim money back for delays

My Account
Logout

Create an Evening Standard Account

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Welcome! Sign in here

Use your social network

Save time by using your existing account to sign in to Evening Standard

We'll never share your information or post anything to your account without your permission

Forgot your password ?

Registration

* indicates fields that are mandatory

Email *

Password *

Confirm Password *

First name *

Surname *

Postcode *

Country *

Mobile phone number

Username *

Gender *

Year of birth *

When you sign up...

You will have access to all our online competitions, discounted offers and can post comments on our site.

You will also receive The Weekender newsletter sent every Thursday - it’s full of fantastic offers and ideas for the weekend. You can update your email preferences in your account page when you log in.

Other newsletters and emails

Homes & Property Newsletter - Yes I want to receive the weekly email with all the latest news on property in the capital

Occasionally we would also like to send you relevant emails detailing specific offers either from ourselves or carefully selected partners. If you would prefer not to receive these then please tick the appropriate boxes below. We will never pass on your details.

I do not want to receive additional offers and information from the Evening Standard

I do not want to receive additional offers and information sent by Evening Standard on behalf of carefully selected partners

Terms and Conditions

* I have read, understood and agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of Evening Standard

Registration

Mail Sent for Registration Confirmation.

A confirmation email has been sent. Please activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent in your mail box.

They follow the worst day for delays on the Tube so far this year with major disruption yesterday across five lines. Transport- and the Tube in particular - is now a key issue in the Mayoral elections, as a YouGov survey revealed in yesterday's Evening Standard.

The Jubilee line was part suspended until lunchtime yesterday with delays lasting the remainder of the day. There was more disruption on the line today caused first by faulty track and then broken-down trains.

Caroline Pidgeon, leader of the London Assembly Lib-Dem group and the Assembly's transport committee, is demanding that Jubilee line users be compensated for the continual disruption.

The statistics came in an answer to a question from her to the Mayor.

Transport for London confirmed that more than 11 million Tube users faced delays of 15 minutes or longer last year.

Under TfL's charter, all passengers are entitled to claim a refund for the cost of a single journey if delayed for more than 15 minutes - but only 3.65 per cent (412,713 people) claimed what they were entitled to.

Ms Pidgeon said: "It is bad enough to face severe Tube delays, but people shouldn't then miss out on the refunds they are entitled to. In a week where far too many people have already faced delays on the Tube, I would urge everyone to start claiming what they are entitled to.

"The Mayor and TfL will only start really to take delays seriously when they are hit financially by passengers claiming in full the refunds for their terrible journeys."

With Tube fares costing upwards of £2 the total amount left unclaimed could be far higher than the estimated £20million.

To claim a refund voucher, passengers have to submit a completed form within 21 days but most don't bother to do so.

April last year was the worst month for Tube disruption with 1,245,397 passengers delayed for 15 minutes or more. But only 40,983 claimed refunds.

The Mayor told Ms Pidgeon: "To put this in context, London Underground carried over 1.16 billion people last year, an average of 97 million a month. Just less than one per cent of these journeys were affected by delays of more than 15 minutes."

He said there has been an 18.8 per cent reduction in delays between 2010 and last year.