ORR statement – ORR welcomes changes to the National Rail Conditions of Carriage

ORR chief executive, Richard Price said:

ORR welcomes the changes to the National Rail Conditions of Carriage that came in to effect today. This is good news for passengers. We've been working with the industry to agree changes that will improve passengers rights. Season ticket holders will now be entitled to receive duplicates or refunds if their ticket is lost or stolen – the restrictions on the number of replacements has been removed. Additionally, passengers who are delayed now have the right to receive compensation in money instead of rail travel vouchers.

Passengers also need reliable and easily-understood information on tickets and fares so that they can make the best choices when selecting and buying train tickets for their journey. Our previous research showed that passengers have low levels of awareness of compensation and refund arrangements. We have made sure that the train companies put in place a code of practice on rail ticket information. The code sets clear standards for the content and accessibility of information provided to passengers, including compensation and refunds.

ORR is monitoring the industry's compliance with consumer law, which underpins the code, in particular how passengers are kept in the picture when train services are disrupted, and informed of their rights to compensation. We will publish a report on the industry's progress in the summer.