It's always annoying when the train is cancelled.
But you definitely don't want any additional costs.
This is how train customers get their money back.
If a train is canceled or delayed, you are suddenly faced with a number of problems: you have to find a new connection, get to your destination somewhere else, or even stay longer than planned at an intermediate station.
You have to pay extra for a new ticket.
And as a rule, you want your money back from the train, which entails tiresome paperwork.
Fortunately, passengers in such a situation are not just unlucky, they also have rights.
What to do if the train is canceled and how to get your money back from the train.
The legal situation: What are rail customers entitled to if the train is late?
If you have an urgent appointment and want to take the train, you should plan some time as a buffer in case of an emergency.
If the train is actually late, the passenger is entitled to a refund after a certain period of time.
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In the event of delays or cancellations of trains, rail passengers have the right to a refund.
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© IMAGO
If you are more than 60 minutes late at your destination station, you are legally entitled to a 25 percent refund of the fare.
If the delay is more than 120 minutes, the possible refund increases to 50 percent of the price.
If you know in advance that the train will be more than 60 minutes late, you can cancel the journey altogether and request a full refund of the ticket price.
The legal situation: What are rail customers entitled to if the train doesn't come at all?
If a train is cancelled, the passenger gets a 100 percent refund of the cost of the ticket, be it due to a strike, storm or other circumstances.
Deutsche Bahn cannot invoke “force majeure” here.
If a passenger is stranded because of a train cancellation on his route, he can
be accommodated in a hotel at the expense of the railways, according to
fahrkartenzahlen.de .
You can either get a hotel voucher directly at the train station or you can pay for the accommodation yourself and then claim reimbursement from the train company.
The same applies to the transfer between the accommodation and the train station, meals or reasonable costs caused by other means of transport that were necessary for the onward journey - for example if you have to change from train service to a coach.
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If the railway offers an alternative train connection, it must bear the additional costs.
If a seat reservation expires due to the change of connection, passengers are also reimbursed for these costs.
If a train stops on the route, for example because of a tree on the tracks or similar, the train company must arrange for transport to the next station.
It is also possible to interrupt the journey and return to the place of departure and this would have to be taken over by the train.
Train canceled or delayed: This is what passengers have to do to get their compensation
If the train is canceled and you get the message on the platform, you should first make your way to the counter.
You can have the cancellation confirmed on the passenger rights form.
If you are still at home, you can take a screenshot in the train app.
Even without confirmation, passengers are reimbursed for the costs of canceled trains.
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All travelers have to do is fill out an application online or by post.
The traveler enters all the necessary data for the affected trip on the passenger rights form and then sends it by post to the service center (DB Dialog, Servicecenter Passenger Rights, 60647 Frankfurt am Main).
In addition, the ticket, receipts for reservations and additional costs incurred as well as a request for reimbursement must be enclosed so that passengers receive a payment and not a voucher.
Bahn customers can request compensation
online via the
bahn.de website or the Bahn app in their customer account, as long as the ticket in question has been purchased via this account and stored there.
List of rubrics: © IMAGO
