Northern customer donations help Samaritans answer 600 more calls

Kind-hearted Northern customers have ensured the Samaritans could answer 600 more calls in the last 12 months

Passengers have the option to divert a refund from the Delay Repay scheme to charity, rather than receive the payment themselves.

This has resulted in a total donation of £3,046.07.  

Every £5 donated means the charity’s volunteers can answer one call for help, so this generous sum will make a huge difference in potentially saving lives and help the charity’s volunteers be there to listen 24/7. 

Customers can claim through Delay Repay quickly and easily if their train is late or cancelled and, as a result, they get to their destination station more than 15 minutes later than scheduled.  

The option to donate to Samaritans was added a year ago this month.  

Recent updates to the system have made it even easier for customers to claim compensation. Now linked to the Northern website and mobile app, information about tickets purchased will automatically feed through, meaning less hassle – and that refunds for advance ticket purchases can be 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.”   

Northern aims to provide the best possible service for passengers but unfortunately, delays do occur from time to time, and are often due to circumstances beyond the rail operator’s control.  

If customers can donate their Delay Repay compensation to Samaritans, even the small amounts from this scheme can help the charity to keep delivering around-the-clock emotional support service to anyone who may need it. 

The option to donate a repayment can be selected from a drop-down menu at the bottom of the Delay Repay form which can be found on Northern’s website.  

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.  

Samaritans has worked in partnership with the rail industry for over 10 years, to remind rail staff and the public that suicide is preventable and talking really can save lives – whether that’s with a friend, a colleague or Samaritans’ volunteers who are always there to listen without judgement, for free on 116 123 or at jo@samaritans.org.” 

Any customer who wants to make a claim under our Delay Repay initiative should retain any travel tickets and complete the delay repay form which is available here. 

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