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Virgin Begins Automatic Refunds Over Rail Delays

Rail passengers will be automatically refunded if their train is delayed by at least half an hour under a new system introduced in the UK for the first time.

The Automatic Delay Repay (ADR) scheme is being launched by Virgin Trains but the Government hopes it will be rolled out nationwide by other operators.

Virgin Trains passengers who are affected by the delays will see their payment cards credited within three days - without having to apply for their money back.

But ADR is only available to people who buy Advance tickets when a specific train has been booked through the operator's website or mobile app.

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A seat reservation is not enough and journeys with multiple connections across different operators are not eligible. Delays for those journeys can still be claimed for in the normal way.

Virgin is the joint-second worst performing operator in England and Wales, behind Govia Thameslink Railway, according to Network Rail figures.

Some 5% of trains run by the operator were either cancelled, late by more than 30 minutes or failed to make a scheduled stop in the past 12 months.

Around 3.5 million journeys on the West Coast Main Line will fall under the terms of ADR each year and be eligible for compensation if delayed.

Virgin estimates that it will pay out an extra £2.8m under the new scheme. This is because many people do not use the existing online claim form.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin described the development as "fantastic news", saying: "Virgin Trains are making the most of modern technology to improve the service customers get.

"Our plan is to make sure passengers across the country benefit from schemes like this and we are encouraging other operators to roll out similar schemes nationwide."

Mike Hewitson, head of policy at independent watchdog Transport Focus, added: "This is a great step forward and we would like to see this system introduced across all operators and ticket types."

These are the levels of compensation on Virgin Trains:

:: Delays of 30-59 mins - 50% of the cost of a single ticket or the relevant portion of a return ticket

:: Delays of 60-119 mins - 100% of the cost of a single ticket or the relevant portion of a return ticket

:: Delays of 120 mins or over - 100% of the cost of a single or both portions of a return ticket.