Complain to TransPennine Express
TransPennine Express complaints about delays, cancellations and refunds: the customer relations email address, Delay Repay from 15 minutes, and free escalation to the Rail Ombudsman.
RailContact emails
tpecustomer.relations@tpexpress.co.uk
Complaints
Common TransPennine Express complaints
Delayed or Cancelled Train
Claim Delay Repay compensation, often from 15 minutes late
Refund Refused
Ticket refund or fee dispute after a cancellation or change
Overcrowding or Poor Service
No seat reservation honoured, filthy carriage, or missing facilities
Penalty Fare or Ticketing Dispute
Unfair penalty fare or a ticket machine that wouldn’t sell the right ticket
Disruption Expenses
Taxi, hotel, or onward-travel costs after your train was cancelled
TransPennine Express ombudsman & regulator routes
Which ombudsman handles TransPennine Express complaints?
Rail Ombudsman. Once TransPennine Express’s own complaints process is exhausted (after 40 working days), you can take your complaint there for free. Go to the ombudsman.
Can you complain to the Office of Rail and Road about TransPennine Express?
Not for individual disputes: the Office of Rail and Road sets the rules for the sector but does not resolve personal complaints or award compensation. Complain to TransPennine Express directly first and keep written records, then escalate to Rail Ombudsman if it stays unresolved after 40 working days or you receive a deadlock or final-response letter. You can still report TransPennine Express to the Office of Rail and Road to flag systemic problems, but that will not get your own money back.
Laws that protect you
National Rail Conditions of Travel
The contract between you and the train operator. Sets out your rights to refunds, compensation, and assistance when trains are delayed or cancelled.
Consumer Rights Act 2015
Rail travel is a service that must be provided with reasonable care and skill. A service that falls short entitles you to a price reduction.
Delay Repay scheme
The industry compensation scheme. Most operators pay out from 15 or 30 minutes of delay, regardless of the cause, on a sliding scale up to a full refund.
Tips for TransPennine Express complaints
- Email tpecustomer.relations@tpexpress.co.uk, or use the form TPE links from its own contact page. Customer Relations also takes calls on 0345 600 1671 from 06:00 to 23:00, seven days a week
- Delay Repay starts at 15 minutes late into your final destination, and the claim has to be in within 28 days of the journey
- Bought an Advance ticket on tpexpress.co.uk or in the TPE app? Automated Delay Repay may have paid out already, so check before you claim again
- Did not travel at all because of the disruption? That is a refund rather than Delay Repay, and the two are separate claims
- Keep the ticket or the booking confirmation - TPE works the amount out from what you paid
- After a final response, or 40 working days with nothing resolved, the Rail Ombudsman is free and its decision binds TPE
If TransPennine Express doesn't respond
- 1
Train Operator
Allow 20 working daysComplain to the operator that ran (or should have run) your train, quoting your ticket details and the National Rail Conditions of Travel
- 2
Formal Complaint
Ask for a final response in writing if the first reply doesn’t resolve it, and keep every reference number
- 3
Rail Ombudsman
40 working daysFree, independent escalation once the operator sends a final response or 40 working days pass
Visit website - 4
Transport Focus
For complaints that fall outside the Rail Ombudsman’s remit (such as policy or timetabling), the passenger watchdog can take them up
Visit website
Contact emails
tpecustomer.relations@tpexpress.co.uk
Complaints
Expected response time
20 days
Train operators aim to respond within 20 working days. After 40 working days with no resolution, you can escalate free to the Rail Ombudsman.
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Frequently asked questions
Tools & guides for your TransPennine Express complaint
Free calculators and explainers that strengthen the case you make to TransPennine Express.
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Not sure what the law actually entitles you to? Start with our UK consumer rights guide - refunds, faulty goods, and how to enforce your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
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