Delay repay availability in Europe

[blueberry11]

Do other European countries offer delay repay (or equivalent like delay compensation, etc) where if you completed the journey, but arrived at the destination late? This is different to refunding your ticket because of delays or cancellations. For comparison purposes, I will put UK here.
These percentages show the value of the ticket.
UK:
15 min, single 25%/return 12.5% (not all TOCs offer this level)
30 min single 50%/return 25%
60 min single 100%/return 50%
120 min 100%


In addition, how about if refreshments are provided, getting you to your destination by an alternative form of transport (by taxi, rail replacement bus, etc) to even requiring to book a hotel room overnight. These will all be provided at the cost of the relevant railway company, which is similar to how airlines do it meaning that you will not have to pay anything. Note that this is in addition to the delay repay scheme, not instead of.

 

[superalbs]

When I was ten hours late on a journey from Serbia to Montenegro, they offered me a 50% refund, but I would have had to go back to Serbia to get it.

 

[U-Bahnfreund]

Germany's rule is 25% back from 60 mins late and 50% from 120 minutes. Hotel and taxi are possible if late at night and/or last journey of the day, and also refreshments from one hour delay. I believe this is mainly based on EU rules so similar elsewhere

Link with details in German https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/Themen/F...piele_Ausnahmen/beispiele_ausnahmen_node.html

 

[CarrotPie]

Germany's rule is 25% back from 60 mins late and 50% from 120 minutes. Hotel and taxi are possible if late at night and/or last journey of the day, and also refreshments from one hour delay. I believe this is mainly based on EU rules so similar elsewhere

Link with details in German https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/Themen/F...piele_Ausnahmen/beispiele_ausnahmen_node.html

Same here in Finland, but with some extra bells and whistles relating to cancelling in advance of disruption.

Details (in English) are here.

 

[superalbs]

Germany's rule is 25% back from 60 mins late and 50% from 120 minutes. Hotel and taxi are possible if late at night and/or last journey of the day, and also refreshments from one hour delay. I believe this is mainly based on EU rules so similar elsewhere

Link with details in German https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/Themen/F...piele_Ausnahmen/beispiele_ausnahmen_node.html

Yup, these are standard EU rules (which also still apply to UK). Some operators have more generous policies, such as most in the UK, and Renfe in Spain.

 

[The exile]

Germany's rule is 25% back from 60 mins late and 50% from 120 minutes. Hotel and taxi are possible if late at night and/or last journey of the day, and also refreshments from one hour delay. I believe this is mainly based on EU rules so similar elsewhere

Link with details in German https://www.eba.bund.de/DE/Themen/F...piele_Ausnahmen/beispiele_ausnahmen_node.html

There is also a minimum value for a claim to be paid out (it used to be EUR4.00 IIRC)

 

[rvdborgt]

Same here in Finland, but with some extra bells and whistles relating to cancelling in advance of disruption.

Details (in English) are here.

It looks like VR got an exemption for delays known in advance: "If a delay is to be expected and you can prepare for it in advance, additional costs will not be compensated. Delays caused by weather conditions are an example of this."
That falls within the scope of the exemptions in this list (article 20 a and b):

https://transport.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2023-07/rail_passengers_summary_table_2023-07-06.pdf

So they don't want to provide assistance when passengers are stranded because of the weather or strikes, not even limited assistance, e.g. accommodation for a max. number of nights. What remains to be seen though is what counts as "in advance" if you leave home on day 1 and e.g. a strike or a storm is predicted on days 10 and occurs on day 12.

 

[biko]

NS (Dutch railways) and most regional operators pay out 50% of a single fare for delays of 30 minutes or more and 100% for delays of 60 minutes or more. I believe one regional operator also pays out for 15-29 minute delays like in the UK. The big downside to the Dutch setup is that there is no compensation for people who are delayed because of missing their connecting train of another operator.

 

[Panceltic]

In Slovenia, you can get 25% back for delays of 60-119 min and 50% back for delays of 120 min or more, with the minimum refund of 4 EUR (so basically you need to have paid at least 8 EUR or 16 EUR respectively for your ticket for them to even bother).

Furthermore, the delay must not have been caused by circumstances outside the railway's control, or by a passenger.

You also need to have your ticket endorsed by staff (mentioning the delay), get a form from them, and post it away.

It's quite complicated and I've never heard about anyone actually claiming it.

 

[rvdborgt]

You also need to have your ticket endorsed by staff (mentioning the delay), get a form from them, and post it away.

They can't make you get an endorsement, since the EU regulation doesn't require that. Also, using a specific form can't be required for the same reason. There was court case, I believe in Germany, about not using the form.

 

[DanielB]

NS (Dutch railways) and most regional operators pay out 50% of a single fare for delays of 30 minutes or more and 100% for delays of 60 minutes or more. I believe one regional operator also pays out for 15-29 minute delays like in the UK. The big downside to the Dutch setup is that there is no compensation for people who are delayed because of missing their connecting train of another operator.

Trips on the high speed line have a repay scheme with 50% for 15-30 minutes delay and 100% for more than 30 minutes delay. In both cases the HSL-supplement is 100% refunded.

Arriva in Limburg pays back 50% for 15-59 minute delays and 100% for more than 60 minutes delay. The regional rail operators in other regions have a scheme similar to the NS-scheme. Qbuzz and Arriva also have a delay repay scheme for their buses in some regions.

 

[blueberry11]

Trips on the high speed line have a repay scheme with 50% for 15-30 minutes delay and 100% for more than 30 minutes delay. In both cases the HSL-supplement is 100% refunded.

Arriva in Limburg pays back 50% for 15-59 minute delays and 100% for more than 60 minutes delay. The regional rail operators in other regions have a scheme similar to the NS-scheme. Qbuzz and Arriva also have a delay repay scheme for their buses in some regions.

NS (Dutch railways) and most regional operators pay out 50% of a single fare for delays of 30 minutes or more and 100% for delays of 60 minutes or more. I believe one regional operator also pays out for 15-29 minute delays like in the UK. The big downside to the Dutch setup is that there is no compensation for people who are delayed because of missing their connecting train of another operator.

This seems as though that the Netherlands has a similar delay repay scheme to the UK. However (for the Netherlands), does it also apply if the delay was outside of their control or if you bought the ticket after you were told about the delay?

 

[DanielB]

This seems as though that the Netherlands has a similar delay repay scheme to the UK. However (for the Netherlands), does it also apply if the delay was outside of their control or if you bought the ticket after you were told about the delay?

There are some exceptions like extreme weather or a countrywide power failure, but delays outside the control of the operator (like a collission on a level crossing) will also be refunded.

As we have the OV-chipcard here, not that many people actually buy their ticket in advance. So yes, you'll be also refunded when you touched in already knowing of the delay.
Actually there are cases of people having their refund rejected due to not having checked in initially. Which also results in critisism as why would you go to a station to check in when it's already known there will be no trains for the rest of the day due to some kind of disruption and alternative transport (your car) is parked in front of your house.
This is mainly due to the initial application being handled by an automated system (which need a check in and check out to determine which train you took) and only is reviewed by a human after replying to the email saying the claim is rejected.

 

[rvdborgt]

This seems as though that the Netherlands has a similar delay repay scheme to the UK. However (for the Netherlands), does it also apply if the delay was outside of their control or if you bought the ticket after you were told about the delay?

NS have always had the possibility not to apply it for nation-wide disruptions beyond their control but I'm not sure if they've ever used it.
If you buy the ticket after you were informed of the delay, then you're not entitled to delay repay, or only for any additional delay that may occur. The timetable known when you buy your ticket is the basis.

 

[DanielB]

If you buy the ticket after you were informed of the delay, then you're not entitled to delay repay, or only for any additional delay that may occur. The timetable known when you buy your ticket is the basis.

You're correct in the case of engineering works, where delay due to bustitution doesn't count. But checking in when it's already known the train will have a 15 minute delay doesn't change your rights, provided the check in was prior to the original departure time.

 

[rvdborgt]

You're correct in the case of engineering works, where delay due to bustitution doesn't count. But checking in when it's already known the train will have a 15 minute delay doesn't change your rights, provided the check in was prior to the original departure time.

Hm, yes, IIRC for journeys with check in/out, NS base delay repay on the timetable known 1 day in advance, which I guess is their way of trying to minimise costs, given their apparent inability to publish changed timetables sufficiently in advance...

 

[sk688]

Irish Rail has delay repay but that involves going to a major station and filling out a paper form , and waiting almost two months in my case , for compensation.

In any case it only applies for delays of over an hour.

My train was delayed. When am I entitled to a refund?

If your train was delayed due to circumstances within the control of Iarnród Éireann the following apply; If you are more than one hour late in arriving at your destination, we will normally offer you discount vouchers for use against future ticket purchases. The value of discount vouchers is...

www.irishrail.ie

 

[AlastairFraser]

Qbuzz and Arriva also have a delay repay scheme for their buses in some regions.

Bus delay repay? Now that's a novel concept.
Does that work for intercity buses only or a wider mix?

 

[DanielB]

Bus delay repay? Now that's a novel concept.
Does that work for intercity buses only or a wider mix?

For all buses in those regions. However the threshold is still 30 minutes delay, which is relatively rare with buses. Arriva also has a compensation for missed guaranteed connections, being 50% repay in Brabant and 100% repay in South-Holland.

 

[AlastairFraser]

For all buses in those regions. However the threshold is still 30 minutes delay, which is relatively rare with buses. Arriva also has a compensation for missed guaranteed connections, being 50% repay in Brabant and 100% repay in South-Holland.

Which regions are those, out of interest?
At least it provides an incentive for the bus company to avoid unnecessary delays, e.g. due to staff shortage.

 

[DanielB]

Which regions are those, out of interest?

For Qbuzz it's in the "Drechtsteden, Molenlanden en Gorinchem" franchise, for Arriva in the "Brabant West and Brabant Oost" franchises and the "Zuid-Holland Noord" franchise.
Looking further, I'd first only searched for regional operators operating trains, I also found the following delay repay schemes for buses:
- EBS in the Voorne-Putten/Rozenburg franchise
- Various operators under the RRReis brand: EBS in the IJssel-Vecht franchise, Transdev/Hermes in the Veluwe-Zuid franchise and Arriva in the Twente franchise.

At least it provides an incentive for the bus company to avoid unnecessary delays, e.g. due to staff shortage.

Most operators having staff shortages have adjusted their timetable accordingly.

 

[biko]

- Various operators under the RRReis brand: EBS in the IJssel-Vecht franchise, Transdev/Hermes in the Veluwe-Zuid franchise and Arriva in the Twente franchise.

This isn't a proper delay repay scheme as it explicitly says it's completely discretionary and no firm criteria are given.

 

[AlastairFraser]

Most operators having staff shortages have adjusted their timetable accordingly.

It would be good if we could say that they'd thought to take that corrective action in the UK.

For Qbuzz it's in the "Drechtsteden, Molenlanden en Gorinchem" franchise, for Arriva in the "Brabant West and Brabant Oost" franchises and the "Zuid-Holland Noord" franchise.
Looking further, I'd first only searched for regional operators operating trains, I also found the following delay repay schemes for buses:
- EBS in the Voorne-Putten/Rozenburg franchise
- Various operators under the RRReis brand: EBS in the IJssel-Vecht franchise, Transdev/Hermes in the Veluwe-Zuid franchise and Arriva in the Twente franchise.

OK, so quite widespread, but not an unanimous decision by companies.

 

[johncrossley]

For all buses in those regions. However the threshold is still 30 minutes delay, which is relatively rare with buses.

With that 30 minutes delay threshold, does that include missed connections?

Arriva also has a compensation for missed guaranteed connections, being 50% repay in Brabant and 100% repay in South-Holland.

What is the definition of a guaranteed connection?

 

[CarrotPie]

What is the definition of a guaranteed connection?

When they say, "this connection is guaranteed", one supposes.

 

[DanielB]

What is the definition of a guaranteed connection?

I don't know all the details of the timetable in those two provinces, but Dutch bus operators do sometimes mention planned connections in the timetable. So suppose they mean something like that.

 

[James H]

Got half the price of our Malaga to Sevilla Avant tickets back from Renfe very painlessly in September - £40 back within a few days

 

[30907]

It would be good if we could say that they'd thought to take that corrective action in the UK.

My local bus companies have, though they say it's due to reduced demand.

 

[dubscottie]

Irish Rail has delay repay but that involves going to a major station and filling out a paper form , and waiting almost two months in my case , for compensation.

In any case it only applies for delays of over an hour.

My train was delayed. When am I entitled to a refund?

If your train was delayed due to circumstances within the control of Iarnród Éireann the following apply; If you are more than one hour late in arriving at your destination, we will normally offer you discount vouchers for use against future ticket purchases. The value of discount vouchers is...

www.irishrail.ie

If you book a ticket online for a specific service and its delayed, the full fare (including the outward/return portion) is refunded automatically within days.
You only need to fill out the form if you purchased your ticket from a booking office or TVM.

 

[AlastairFraser]

My local bus companies have, though they say it's due to reduced demand.

A lot of UK bus and train companies sadly won't admit that they can't fullfill the current timetable and need to reduce it though.