Northern passengers have kindly chosen to donate their refund to Samaritans rather than see the payment returned to themselves and in total donations of £3,046 made.
Each £5 donated to the charity provides for volunteers to answer one call for help and this generous amount will have a positive impact, potentially saving lives and supporting the charity's volunteers to be able to listen in around the clock.
Passengers claiming via Delay Repay can do so quickly and easily should their train be late or cancelled and as a result arrives at their destination station over 15 minutes later than timetabled.
The opportunity to donate to Samaritans was put in place a year ago this month.
The Delay Repay system has seen recent updates which create an even easier way for customers to claim compensation and is now linked via the Northern Website and mobile app with information about purchased tickets automatically fed through creating less hassle and means that refunds for advance ticket purchases are now automated.
Mark Powles, commercial and customer director at Northern, said:
“A big thank you to our very generous customers who have donated to Samaritans through Delay Repay.
“One of our key goals is to make a positive impact in the north of England and we hope that by continuing our support for Samaritans through this scheme we can help reach out to those who may be struggling.
“The charity has trained many of our frontline staff to spot someone who might be vulnerable, giving them the confidence to simply start a conversation which could help save a life.”
The rail operator wants to give the best possible service for passengers but delays do occur and this is sometimes due to circumstances outside of Northerns control.
If customers continue to donate their Delay Repay monies to Samaritans even including small amounts, it will aid the charity in offering 24/7 emotional support to anybody who may need it.
To find the donate a repayment option, please use the drop-down menu from the bottom of the Delay Repay form on Northern's website and select.
Dave Brown, Regional Development Lead for Samaritans' Rail Programme in North West & Central said:
“We're so grateful to Northern and their customers who have donated to Samaritans through this scheme. We know the nation's mental health has been tested because of the pandemic with our 20,000 volunteers answering a call for help every 10 seconds in 2021. Every £5 donated means our volunteers can answer one call for help, so this generous donation will make a huge difference in potentially saving lives.
Working in partnership with the rail industry for more than 10 years, Samaritans help to remind both rail staff and the public that suicide is preventable and that talking really does save lives, whether with a friend, colleague or Samaritans volunteer who are always available to listen without judgement, for free on 116 123 or at jo@samaritans.org.”
Customers making a claim under Northern's Delay Repay initiative need to retain any travel tickets and complete the delay repay form which can be found here: https://delay.northernrailway.co.uk
