£20m for delayed commuters

Delays for long-distance travellers and commuters go on

Rail passengers are to get a further £20m in compensation for delays following the Hatfield crash, train companies have announced.

Inter-city compensation 12 Nov to 9 Dec

Anglia main line: 7 days

Virgin Cross Country: 24 days

Virgin West Coast: 24 days

GNER - East Coast main line: 24 days

Midland Main Line: 9 days

First Great Western: 5% discount

The new money covers the period 12 November to 9 December and follows the £50m package for the four weeks immediately after the mid-October derailment.

The latest package includes up to 24 days of free travel for monthly or annual season ticketholders on Virgin's West Coast and GNER's East Coast main lines.

Virgin CrossCountry season ticketholders will also get 24 days' free travel, while Silverlink is offering up to 20 days' free travel on its Northampton line which was affected by a serious derailment.

About 300,000 passengers will receive either five days' free travel or a discount when renewing their season tickets.

London commuting compensation 12 Nov to 9 Dec

Connex South Central: 5-7% discount

Connex South Eastern: 5-7% discount

First Great Western: 15 days

c2c: 5-7% discount

Silverlink - Northampton line: 20 days

Silverlink - Watford line: 4 days

Silverlink - North London: 0 days

South West Trains: 5% discount

Thames Trains: 5 days

Thameslink: 8 days

George Muir, director general of the Association of Train Operating Companies, said: "This second compensation announcement once again provides an overall package worth more to passengers than in normal circumstances because we want to demonstrate our recognition of the difficulties they have been experiencing."

A spokesman for Atoc said that this second, smaller compensation package reflected the improvement in services between 12 November and 9 December as speed restrictions were lifted.

Passengers with weekly or daily tickets who have experienced significant delays are entitled only to refunds for disrupted journeys under each train company's Passenger's Charter.

Other compensation 12 Nov to 9 Dec

Anglia - local services: 0-10 days

Central - cross-country services: 20 days

Central - Mid Wales and Marches: 8 days

Central - other services: 0-10% discount

Northern Spirit: 0-5% discount

ScotRail: Central and East 5 days

ScotRail - Edinburgh to Glasgow express: 5 days

ScotRail - other services: 0 days

First North Western: 0 days

Island Line: 0 days

Wales & West: 0-15 days

Valley Lines: 1 day

Merseyrail: 5-10% discount

These passengers should contact their train company using a compensation form or by letter, enclosing proof of travel and details of the journey and delay experienced.

Stewart Francis, chairman of the Rail Passengers Council, said: "There are examples of generous compensation ... but some passengers who have endured difficult conditions may get little or nothing under this deal."

Mr Francis maintained "that some of rail's most loyal customers are being treated quite shabbily".

"Despite our representations, there is still no special provision for most holders of weekly tickets who have suffered in exactly the same way."