DOES your train seem out to get you with constant delays and cancellations? Well, for one Brit this seemed the case – so he used his compensation to go on holiday.
Rob Adcock, a travel content creator from Stoke-on-Trent, decided enough was enough and started to put any Delay Repay compensation he had into a separate savings account.
Then, over the course of 12 to 14 months he managed to save around £326 – enough to go on holiday.
He said: “I travel a lot with work.
“Whenever you travel on a train, if you’re delayed – which tends to happen quite a bit – over the course of a year, you’ll get quite a bit of Delay Repay compensation.
“Over the time, I just saved it up – I set up a separate pot and then whenever it came through, I just transferred it into that.
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“One day I then thought, ‘do you know what, I’ll try and take a few days away’.
“So I did and I took my mum with me.”
Rob travels regularly between Stoke-on-Trent, London and Manchester.
However, the delays racked up, meaning her saved more than £300 in a year from the delay payout scheme.
As an irregular commuter, he said others could save even more if they travel to work by train daily.
As for his holiday, Rob chose to head to Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife, Spain, covering his share of the trip.
He said: “It was good as well because it was one of those holidays where, you know when you get there and you don’t really have any expenses because you’re just somewhere warm and you’re just sitting by a pool and just wandering around.”
When it came to choosing where to go, Tenerife wasn’t the only option he could afford.
Rob could have also chosen to travel to Morocco or to Lanzarote.
He said: “It was one of those things where when it gets to January and you’re just absolutely desperate for a bit of vitamin D and sunshine.
“And Tenerife was the best deal.”
Documenting his Delay Repay holiday on his Instagram account @RobAdcock, the creator shared how he and his mum stayed at a resort with an infinity pool, hot tubs and even banana trees.
Three nights half board with return flights including hold and hand luggage as well as transfer to and from the airport cost just £312 via First Choice Holidays .
Most operators now process Delay Repay compensation automatically if you do purchase a ticket online or via an app, making it easy for anyone to do.
Rob revealed: “I think the first time you do it, it can be a faff.
“I can definitely understand that point of view, you know when people say, ‘oh I can’t be bothered’.
“But sometimes when train tickets can be so expensive, like if it’s like a £105 return, it is worth doing as you will get quite a bit back if the train was delayed or cancelled.”
Rob added how he plans to do the same process in the future, commenting: “If I can get a nice little trip away, it always works well in the end.
“[Train operators] are very, very transparent about it and they are very good at pointing people in the right direction.
“A lot of the times it might not be their fault, like there’s a flood or bad weather.
“It’s just one of those things that is nice when it eventually comes to help out.”
The creator thought that Tenerife would be busier than it was with Brits wanting to escape the UK’s dreary winter, but it was quiet everywhere.
“It didn’t feel like you were fighting for a sun lounger and it never felt like you were being pushed around at breakfast or anything like that.
“It was just calm,” Rob concluded.
In other rail news, here’s the UK train journey that feels like the Hogwarts Express with stunning views along the way.
Plus, the UK’s busiest train station reveals new plans for massive £1.2billion transformation.