Due to the unprecedented level of strike action by members of the RMT union, and the wholly unnecessary impact this had on passengers, the Government has worked with South Western Railway to secure compensation arrangements.
The compensation package offers up to five day’s worth of travel to season ticket holders and daily ticket holders who travelled frequently during the strike. Season ticket holders whose station received no train service or bus replacement will receive the full cost of travel for the days in which they had a valid ticket during the period of the strike.
The compensation scheme will run in two phases: the first phase targets SWR season ticket holders who will be contacted directly to arrange compensation, and the second phase is for customers for whom SWR doesn’t hold details, including weekly season ticket holders, who will need to apply for compensation. SWR will notify customers when each phase opens and further details can be found here: www.southwesternrailway.com/december-2019-strike-compensation
This compensation is above the standard Delay Repay scheme which entitles holders of any ticket type – including passengers who travel less frequently – to claim compensation for delays of 15 minutes or more, whatever the cause of the delay. The Department for Transport encourages passengers to also claim using Delay Repay.