New scheme to launch to expand ticket acceptance when trains are cancelled

From Sunday 20th September 2026, rail passengers will have greater flexibility to continue journeys with ticket acceptance assured across operators when trains are cancelled.

Currently passengers whose tickets restrict their journeys to specific departures or rail operating companies must wait for operators to agree ticket acceptance, buy a new ticket or abandon their journey if a train is cancelled. Under changes taking effect on 20th September, they will be able to transfer to another service run by a different operator at no additional cost

Customers holding a valid ticket will be able to travel on another participating operator’s train, departing within 2 hours before or after their original cancelled service, using a direct or reasonable alternative route. Passengers will need to show their original ticket to customer support staff on their new service as proof of purchase, with no requirement to download a new ticket.

Cross-operator ticket acceptance is already in place across all publicly owned operators in England, including Northern and TransPennine Express, with four private operators joining the scheme this month, including CrossCountry and Avanti WestCoast which run services through Stockport. East Midlands Railway will join the scheme at a later date, meaning almost all rail operating companies serving stations in Stockport will soon be included in the scheme.

Alex Robertson, Chief Executive of the independent watchdog, Transport Focus, has welcomed the changes:

“When passengers are delayed, they just want to get where they need to be, not worry about whether their ticket will be accepted on another train.

“This is a welcome change that we have long called for and should make it easier for people when services are cancelled.

“The key now is making sure passengers get clear information about their options whenever disruption occurs.”

Expanding ticket acceptance during disruption forms part of changes to rail network being rolled out through the launch of Great British Railways (GBR) and the networks renationalisation. The government is investing £156 million in new ticketing schemes so that by 2027, pay-as-you-go will be available at over 100 more stations across Greater Manchester, the Midlands and the south-east, as well as the use of GPS tracking via an app to calculate fares.

A new GBR website and app is also in development, which will serve as a one-stop shop, with passengers able to buy tickets, check train times and access support in one simple-to-use app.