SCOTRAIL are among the UK rail firms with the most complicated compensation processes, according to research.
Consumer group Which? found rail passengers are being asked to submit up to 24 separate pieces of information to claim compensation.
Which? said its study of online claim forms shows customers seeking payouts for disruption face a “fragmented and confusing” system.
ScotRail were among the operators with the most complicated compensation processes, with the others being Great Anglia, London Northwestern, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains.
Recent Transport Focus research found just 35% of passengers who are eligible for compensation submit a claim.
Which? found that customers are often asked for “seemingly irrelevant details” which creates “unnecessary barriers”.
Which?’s managing director of public markets, Alex Hayman, said: “The technology exists to deliver compensation automatically, but the industry continues to drag its heels, while benefiting from a system that deters passengers from claiming the money they are owed.”
Jacqueline Starr, chief operating officer at the Rail Delivery Group, which represents rail firms, said: “We’re doing more to encourage claims, including sending reminders to people who booked online, making announcements on trains and handing out claim forms. This has led to an 80% increase in compensation over the last two years.”
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