The most important thing ahead: If you don't have to travel on Monday, you can use your long-distance travel ticket up to and including next Sunday. This also means that the train connection expires.
However, some cannot postpone their trip. Then the general rule for compensation applies:
Delay from 20 minutes
If rail travelers can expect their train to arrive at the destination station with a delay of more than 20 minutes the train connection expires. Sources for this are, for example, the delay information on the Internet, the train app, on the scoreboards and in the announcements.
Then those affected can take the next best, but also later trains and are no longer bound to a specific route. If you take a more expensive train (for example an ICE instead of the Regional Express), you first have to buy a new ticket or pay an extra charge. However, the paid money can later be reimbursed.
But: country tickets, the nice weekend ticket and the cross-country ticket are exempt from the regulation.
Train is more than 60 minutes late
Anyone with a delay of more than an hour should arrive at the destination, the trip cannot begin and the fare can be reimbursed.
Rail travelers who are already on the move can cancel the trip and have a portion of the price paid out – or return to the departure station and reclaim the entire price. If they decide to continue driving, travelers are entitled to a quarter of the fare.
From two hours It's halfway late. There are flat rates for season tickets and regional offers.
Also interesting: strike on the train – being late for work: is that a problem?
Claim compensation
In order to receive compensation, those affected must obtain and fill out a passenger rights form. The form is sometimes handed out on the train, otherwise passengers can get it at the information desk, in the travel center or on the Internet to print out themselves.
You then have to hand it in together with the ticket or a copy to a train travel center or send it by post to the Passenger Rights Service Center in Frankfurt am Main. The service center then has 28 days to process the application.
Important:
- Customers can still request compensation up to one year after the delay.
- The train recommends that the delay be confirmed by a conductor or the staff using the information on the form.
- In the case of season tickets as well as no-show or cancellation of the trip due to delay, this is mandatory. In the latter two cases, the original ticket must be submitted.
- Compensation amounts of less than four euros are not paid. Anyone who does not agree with a decision by the service center can contact an arbitration board.
Expired reservation and external service providers
If rail travelers have invested the 4.50 euros for a reservation and the car is missing or the whole train fails, they can get the money back. To do this, they must submit the passenger rights form, originals of the ticket and the reservation.
If it is too time-consuming to fill out the forms, you can rely on external service providers on the Internet who demand compensation for you. However, it costs money.
Stay informed: rail strike 2018 – warning strike now officially ended – massive restrictions expected by evening