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GWR train ticket refunds

When you buy your ticket from GWR and you don’t travel, you can:

If your journey was with GWR and you were delayed by 15 minutes or more, you should apply for Delay Repay compensation.

Bought your ticket from another retailer? Please ask them for details of how to apply for a refund or change your ticket. We can only help with tickets bought from GWR.

Refund terms and conditions have changed

Refund conditions changed on Wednesday 1 April 2026.

The terms that apply depend on when you bought your ticket (not your travel date).

Tickets purchased up to Tuesday 31 March 2026

If you bought your ticket on or before Tuesday 31 March 2026, the previous refund terms apply:

  • You can request a refund for an unused ticket within 28 days of the ticket’s expiry date
  • A £5 administration fee may apply (unless your train was cancelled or delayed)
  • Advance tickets are non-refundable, unless your train was disrupted

Tickets purchased from Wednesday 1 April 2026 onwards

If you bought your ticket on or after Wednesday 1 April 2026, updated refund terms apply:

  • If you choose not to travel, you must request a refund before 23:59 on the day before your ticket becomes valid
  • After this point, refunds are only available if:
    • your train was cancelled or delayed, or
    • an exceptional circumstance prevented you from travelling
  • A £5 administration fee may apply (unless your train was cancelled or delayed)
  • Advance tickets remain non-refundable, except in cases of disruption

For more information, visit the National Rail website.

Apply for a train ticket refund

Can I apply for a train ticket refund?

You can apply for a refund if you didn’t travel and you either:

  • bought an Anytime, Off-Peak or Super Off-Peak ticket from GWR
  • bought a ticket from GWR and your journey was cancelled or disrupted and you chose not to travel

Before you apply

  • Your ticket must be unused
  • You must have bought your ticket from GWR.com, the GWR app, or a GWR station
  • Refunds must be requested within the timeframes stated above, depending on purchase date
  • We aim to process refunds within 28 days of your claim
  • We may charge a £5 administration fee each application, unless your train was delayed or cancelled
  • Advance tickets are non-refundable, unless your train was cancelled or delayed
  • If you travelled and your train was delayed, apply for Delay Repay instead

How to apply for a train ticket refund

To apply for a refund, you'll need to fill out an online form on our refund portal. To do this you'll have to login or register if you've not used it before.

Apply for a refund

What happens next?

  • Once your refund has been processed, you’ll receive an email confirming the amount that’s been credited to your payment card.
  • It can take up to 10 days from receipt of the confirmation email for the credit to appear on your statement.

Changing your train ticket

When you buy your ticket from us and you can’t travel because your plans change, we can change your ticket up to the date of departure.

  • It’s free of charge to change Anytime, Off-Peak and Super Off-Peak tickets.
  • We may apply a £10 administration fee to change an Advance ticket.

Find out more about how to change your ticket.

Our guarantees 

FAQs

If you have any more questions have a look at our compensation and refund FAQs.

Need help with something else?

We want you to be happy with your journey. If you can't find what you want to know here or in our FAQs, get in touch with our Customer Support team and let us know how we can help you.