Train season ticket refund 2026: how much you get back

If you bought a rail season ticket but stopped using it — changed jobs, moved, went on parental leave — you can get some money back. But the refund is not calculated pro-rata, and that is the key catch.

How is the refund calculated?

An unexpired season ticket is returned to the retailer or train company you bought it from. The refund equals the price you paid, minus the cost of tickets for the period you actually used — up to the day you apply. The refund is counted from the day after you return the ticket; backdating is allowed only with evidence that illness stopped you travelling.

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Why is the refund not pro-rata?

Longer season tickets (monthly, annual) are sold at a discount. So the refund is worked out as if you had bought shorter tickets at full price for the time used. In practice this means that near the end of the ticket's life the refund can be very small or even nil — it pays to hand the ticket back as early as possible.

What admin fee and deadlines apply?

For a season ticket refund the train company may keep an admin fee of no more than £10. For other ticket types the maximum fee is £5 per ticket. If you did not travel because a train was cancelled or seriously delayed, the ticket is refunded in full with no admin fee. For tickets bought on or after 1 April 2026, a claim in such cases must be made within 28 days of the ticket's expiry.

What to do so you don't lose money?

Do not delay the refund: every extra day of the used period reduces the amount. Keep the ticket (or the digital record) and your proof of purchase. Apply to wherever you bought it — different companies have their own forms, but the calculation rules are the same.

What if the ticket is digital or on a smartcard?

The same rules apply whether the season ticket is paper, on a smartcard or in an app: you apply to the seller, the refund runs from the day after you surrender it, and the admin fee is capped at £10. Keep proof of the date you stopped travelling. If you are off sick, ask about backdating with a doctor's note. If your commute ended because of redundancy or a house move, there is no special extra refund, so the sooner you claim, the better. In a dispute, the Rail Ombudsman can review the train company's decision — but you must complain to the operator first.

Your refund rights are set out by the rail regulator ORR.