RAIL companies have been ordered to speed up compensation payments to customers for poor service after complaints from a commuter.

Brighton Kemptown MP Simon Kirby has called on rail operators Southern and Thameslink to speed up compensation.

Passengers can claim for payouts within 28 days of a journey if they have been delayed by more than 30 minutes.

Diane Ravilious commutes from Seaford to London every day and has a number of repayments outstanding.

The compliance analyst received delay payments for 13 delayed trips in August and September and said she had to go through a long, laborious process to cash in the vouchers with station staff.

She said: “I have received the wrong payment twice so far and a payment to my online account, although I do not have one, instead of vouchers.

“I requested they send the correct voucher out asap but neither times has this happened. On the first occasion I chased three times and gave up.”

Mr Kirby said: “As I commuter myself, I know first-hand how frustrating it is to experience travel disruption.

“I want the train companies to process these claims as quickly as possible, and I urge them strongly to improve this service to my constituents, who have already been inconvenienced once and should not be made to suffer again.”

A Southern spokesman said the company aimed to process all claims within 28 days but in the past four weeks, 19% were processed inside 24 hours, with an average response time of only 11 days.

He said: “We’ve done work on our delay repay system to reduce response times to reach this average, but we are continuing to work to make the process seamless.

“We are surprised your reader has had this problem, as she has received many payments from us in the past, but our customer services will look into this for her.”

A Thameslink spokesman said the company had made it easier than ever to claim and the company would soon provide automatic notifications to passengers.

He said: “We are concerned to hear that a passenger has not heard back from us in 30 days.

“Under normal circumstances we would post a letter or send an email in five days. At times of high demand it can take longer – but not more than 20 days.”