I've found a way of travelling around the UK by train for free - but there's a catch

Daily Mail​

4 days ago

We all know that train fares are extortionate – but one passenger discovered a way of travelling around the country for free after a delayed trip to Scotland.
Ed Wise, 29, lives in London but makes the long journey all the way to Dumfries to visit his family six times a year and faces shocking ticket prices each time.
But one trip in 2022 to visit his sister changed everything for the writer.
His train from London to Scotland via the Avanti West Coast was delayed by more than three hours.
Ed told the Big Issue: 'The train manager was incredibly apologetic and so kept coming on the intercom to apologise.'
During the journey, the train came to a complete stop for more than an hour.
Despite the inconvenience, Ed discovered he could get his money back using the Delay Repay scheme after the train operator 'gave a really detailed explanation' of the process.
The nationwide scheme is used by most train companies, but not all, and allows customers to claim compensation for cancelled or delayed trips.
The amount of money a customer will receive back can depend on the length of the delay and the train operator's scheme.
'Then, on my way home, my train was delayed too – so I got all my money back for that as well,' Ed added.
Ed's journey was impacted by strike action and began to book his future train tickets during planned strikes.
However, when the strikes eased in 2023 he noted other factors that could potentially cause delays to journeys too.
Ed said his train journey had RMT strike action scheduled, as well as repair work near Preston.
'That was when I worked out the second part of the holy triad – engineering works.'
He revealed how train companies often notify the public when they plan works and anything scheduled can be found on Network Rail.
'The ball is in your court as a consumer, the power is in your hands, as long as you are forensic enough to analyse the information,' Ed added.
Another factor the savvy train passenger notes is the weather.
Ed explained how extreme weather, such as snow or floods, has helped him to save money in the past by causing delays.
Though Ed has managed to save more than £1,000 with his train ticket hacks, he admits there is a catch.
He said: 'You do have to be willing to go through the arduous pain of a 10-hour journey that's supposed to be five.'
Long waits can also have unexpected impacts on the behaviour of other passengers too, Ed revealed.
He shared how during a delayed journey from London to Glasgow people were discussing how to 'raid' the food cart, which was stocked up but due to staff shortages wasn't in service.