England's rail passengers will gain an automatic right to board a different operator's train at no extra cost when their service is cancelled, the government has announced. Starting 20 September, travellers holding a valid ticket can use another operator's service on a reasonable alternative route within a two-hour window either side of their original departure — ending a longstanding source of confusion where pre-booked tickets were often invalid on rival firms' trains. The change, described by Rail Minister Lord Hendy as putting "passengers first," extends protections already in place for services under public ownership to major intercity operators including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, GWR and Chiltern Railways, with East Midlands Railway temporarily excluded due to ongoing mass cancellations linked to faulty new trains.