Yes, it's a pain but train tickets can be refunded can't they.
No not in most cases.
"What if you choose not to travel?
If you decide not to travel simply because you’ve changed your mind, you’re unlikely to get a full refund. However, depending on what kind of ticket you bought, you might be able to cancel and get most of your money back.
Sometimes you will be asked to pay a £10 cancellation fee to do this. And be warned, some advance tickets and special offers may be non-refundable, so check the terms and conditions of the train operating company.
You're more likely to get a full refund if the train you were intending to take is delayed, or your reservation is not available. In these cases, you can argue that the train company failed to deliver rather than that you changed your mind."