Rail Ombudsman

Rail Ombudsman: independent resolution of rail complaints

Rail Ombudsman is an independent, not-for-profit organisation that offers a free, specialist service to resolve customer complaints that have not received a satisfactory response from rail industry service providers. It expressly presents itself as an entity that acts neither as a consumer champion nor as a trade body for the industry, and operates independently to ensure fairness in every case.

How a complaint is handled

Anyone who prefers not to use the online form can download a paper application and send it by email or post, or contact the organisation to have it sent to them or to raise the complaint through other accessible channels.

What the organisation does

Rail Ombudsman listens to both sides to try to reach a solution accepted by both. When that is not possible, it is empowered to issue decisions that are binding on service providers, who must comply with them. It can also make recommendations to service providers for improvement, and it publishes case studies and data that provide insight into common complaints and how to raise service standards.

Resources and FAQs

The site includes an FAQs section covering issues such as who can complain, whether help is available to make the complaint, whether a lawyer is needed and how the complainant is informed of the status of their case. It also includes helpful resources and a dedicated section for service providers.

Structure and governance

Rail Ombudsman is part of Ombuds Group. Published documentation includes policies, conflict of interest, cookies, transparency, privacy notice and accessibility. The site's legal notice states that the organisation is registered in England and Wales with company number 08945616, and that its address is Premier House, 1st Floor, 1-5 Argyle Way, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2AD.

Location and contact

Premier House, 1st Floor, 1-5 Argyle Way, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2AD