The Business Travel Association (BTA) has submitted a formal response to the UK Government and Rail Delivery Group (RDG) calling for an immediate 12-month delay to incoming changes to the National Rail Conditions of Travel.
The new rules, currently set to take effect on April 1, would require purchasers of ‘Anytime’ or off-peak fares to apply for a refund by midnight the day before departure. Currently, refunds can be submitted up to 28 days after travel – a window the RDG claims has created a “legal loophole” for refund fraud when tickets are not scanned.
While the changes aim to tackle fraud estimated to cost the industry £40 million annually, the BTA points out that corporate fraud represents less than 1% of this figure. However, the impact on legitimate business travellers and their companies will be significant.
“These new rail refund rules risk hitting business travellers hardest while missing the real source of the fraud problem,” said Clive Wratten, CEO of the BTA.
“For companies that rely on flexible rail tickets, this means higher costs, more admin, and less confidence in rail as a business travel option.”
The BTA highlights that its members handle approximately £1 billion of rail spend annually, with 65% of those bookings being the flexible fares directly affected by this change. Beyond the private sector, the trade body warned that public sector travel programmes rely heavily on post-departure flexibility, while these restrictions risk creating significant unbudgeted costs for government departments and civil servants.
Technical implementation is also a major concern. Industry suppliers warn that such complex redevelopments usually require many months, yet travel management companies have been given only weeks to overhaul systems, retrain personnel and redesign audit processes.
Wratten added: “We are asking for a 12-month extension so the industry has time to build the right systems, train staff and inform customers properly. Without that, there is a real danger rail becomes even less incentivised and businesses will simply default back to the car.”
Responding to the concerns, a Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: “Fare evasion and refund fraud take money away from the railway every year, increasing the burden on fare‑paying passengers and taxpayers. That’s why from April 1, 2026, the refund rules are being updated to make them clearer and fairer for everyone.”
The spokesperson added: “RDG has been engaging closely with the BTA, TMCs and key suppliers to understand any potential impacts. That engagement is ongoing and we’ll continue working with the sector to make sure the updated rules work for business travellers.”
