Govia Thameslink Railway operates three distinct brands — Southern, Thameslink, and Great Northern — through a single parent company. You'd think this consolidation would mean a streamlined claims process. It doesn't. The claims portal is shared but clunky, response times are long, and the experience doesn't match the volume of passengers these services carry.
How to claim
All three brands use the same delay repay portal. You'll need to create an account, then navigate a multi-step form for each claim. The form requires journey details, delay information, ticket specifics, and proof uploads. Because the three brands share infrastructure, you'll need to be specific about which service you were on. Processing takes 20-30 working days on average, with some claims taking longer during busy periods.
Open Southern / Thameslink / Great Northern Delay Repay →Tips for Southern / Thameslink / Great Northern claims
Know which brand your service runs under — it matters for the claim form. Thameslink services typically run through central London (Blackfriars, City Thameslink, St Pancras). Southern services run from Victoria and London Bridge to Sussex. Great Northern runs from Kings Cross and Moorgate to Hertfordshire and beyond. Getting the brand wrong can delay your claim. Batch your claims if you're a season ticket holder — submit weekly rather than daily to reduce the number of times you need to navigate the portal.
Our verdict
Below average. Three major commuter brands serving millions of passengers deserve a better claims process. The shared portal should be an advantage but instead feels like a cost-saving measure that doesn't benefit passengers.
What you'll need
Whichever operator you're claiming from, have these ready: the date of your journey, your departure and arrival stations, the scheduled departure time of your train, what happened (how many minutes late, or if it was cancelled), your ticket type and what you paid, and proof of purchase — a photo of your ticket or your booking confirmation email.
For a complete overview of how Delay Repay works across all operators, read our UK Commuter's Guide to Delay Repay.
Never miss a claim on Southern / Thameslink / Great Northern
DelayRepay monitors your Southern / Thameslink / Great Northern commute and alerts you the moment a delay is detected — with the compensation amount and everything you need to claim.
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