If the last train of the night is cancelled, or you miss it because your connecting train was delayed, the train company has an obligation to get you home.

Under section 43 of the National Rail's Conditions of Carriage, the train company must 'either arrange to get you to that destination, or provide overnight accommodation for you'.

That's good for future reference, but don't despair if it has happened to you already.

It may be that you didn't know the rules, or that when you arrived at the station there were no staff around to help you.

You can still claim a refund, though. To get one, you'll need to file an expenses claim on a form usually found on the rail company's website. Or you can pick one up at a ticket office. Attach copies of any receipts and include a brief description of why you are claiming.

On the form, remind the company it is obliged to assist you in the event of a cancellation as outlined in National Rail's Conditions of Carriage section 43.

There is no law setting out when you are entitled to compensation if your train is delayed. Train companies are private firms and each decides how long you must be delayed before it will pay out.

National Rail — which oversees all train lines — says customers must be able to claim compensation if they arrive more than an hour late.

But it also says that Grand Central, Great Western Railway and South West Trains are the only companies that stick to this 60-minute rule.

If you are travelling with any other train company, such as Virgin or Great Northern, you can claim compensation if you are delayed over 30 minutes.

To claim, you need to submit a form online or in the post. Most firms do this through a Delay Repay compensation scheme.

Keep hold of all your receipts and make a note of the time you arrived at your destination.

If you don't have it any more — as most likely it was gobbled by a machine at a ticket barrier — you should be able to use your receipt or credit card statement.

If your Eurostar train has been delayed or cancelled by more than one hour, you are entitled to compensation even if the reason for the delay - such as bad weather or strike action - is out of Eurostar's control.

For delays between 60 minutes and 119 minutes, you can claim a refund of 25 per cent of the price of your single ticket or a Eurostar e-voucher to use on a future journey to the value of 25 per cent of the fare which you paid. You can also pass on your e-voucher code for someone else to use.

For a delay of 120 - 179 minutes, you can claim either a refund of 50 per cent of the fare or an e-voucher for 50 per cent of your paid fare.

For a delay of three hours or more, you can claim either a refund of 50 per cent of the fare or an e-voucher for 75 per cent of the fare.

Hang on to your ticket, wait 24 hours, then claim online.

You can claim for an e-voucher to use against a future journey at https://compensation.eurostar.com/#/

You can claim cash at https://prr.eurostar.com

With a delay of more than one hour, you may decide not to travel, in which case you can exchange your ticket for free and travel on another date within 120 days (90 days if your booking involves onward travel with another train company), subject to availability or request a full refund, regardless of your original ticket conditions.

Make sure you keep your original tickets and all your receipts – you’ll need these to make your claim.

If your Eurostar train is delayed or cancelled and you need to stay the night and you’re going to miss your onward journey, Eurostar provides:

• A taxi - if you’d prefer to spend the night at home or at a friend’s place, they will cover the cost of a taxi for you to get there, up to £50 per taxi
• A hotel stay - up to £150 per room per night
• Meals - up to £50 per person per 24 hour period

If you have any other expenses, read your policy and talk to your insurance provider about whether you can claim for them.

Raise a claim under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act with your credit card company - after estimating say 50 per cent of journeys being disrupted - so ask for half of the money back.

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act makes your credit card firm protect purchases of £100 to £3,000 for free.

If you have bought your rail tickets for more than £100 on a credit card, you can make a claim - and should give evidence that the company did not provide the goods or services that were included in the terms of sale.

Refunds cannot be given if your credit card firm believes you have already got 'a replacement product or service or other compensation from the supplier in settlement of this claim'.

Therefore compensation you have already claimed from the train firm could reduce what you can get. Credit card providers can send you a form to fill in so you can make a claim for non-receipt of goods or services.