Mystery grows over precisely what First Capital Connect will be paying passengers delayed on the broken down train on 26 May.

Lib Dem County Councillor Chris White, who met with FCC managers last week, was told that he could not be told the amount because it was a private matter between FCC and their ‘customers’. But correspondence indicates that they are not being told either.

Chris said: ‘It cannot be right that an elected representative has been refused this information. Clearly it is to their advantage to negotiate privately with each claimant in a situation where one claimant may not be aware of the extent of another claimant’s compensation. All I know is that the compensation will be in the from of “scratch cards” – apparently seriously.

‘If passengers can contact me when they have received their compensation offers, then I will be able to piece together a wider picture for the benefit of all those affected.’