The Operator Has Not Replied — What Do I Do Now?

What the law says

Under EU Regulation 2021/782, Article 28, railway operators must acknowledge your claim within one month and give a final decision within three months. In practice, most operators respond much faster. But some do not respond at all.

One month of silence is not a rejection. Silence is a procedural failure, and you can act on it.

You have two options: chase the operator directly, or escalate to the national rail regulator. You can do both.

Step 1: Write a formal chase letter

Before escalating, send one more written message to the operator. Keep it short and firm.

Here is a template:

Dear [Operator name] Customer Relations,

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I am writing to follow up on my compensation claim submitted on [date], reference [your reference number if you have one].

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Under EU Regulation 2021/782, Article 28, you are required to respond to my claim within one month. That deadline has now passed and I have not received a response.

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I am requesting that you respond within 14 days. If I do not hear from you, I will escalate this matter to [the relevant national enforcement body for your country].

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My journey details: [route, date, delay length, ticket price].

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Yours sincerely,

[Your name]

Send this by email and keep a copy. Note the date you sent it.

What counts as a valid response

An acknowledgement email saying 'we have received your claim and will get back to you' is not a decision. That is an acknowledgement. The operator still needs to give you a decision within three months of receiving your original claim.

A decision is either: we will pay you [amount], or we are rejecting your claim because [reason].

If after 30 days you only have an acknowledgement and no decision, you can still escalate — but it is worth noting the timeline when you do.

Step 2: Escalate to the national regulator

If the operator does not respond to your chase letter, go to the national enforcement body for the country where the delay occurred or where the operator is based.

These bodies can investigate the operator and compel them to process your claim. Escalating is free. The operator is legally required to cooperate.

Germany

Bundesnetzagentur — Germany's Federal Network Agency regulates the rail sector and handles passenger rights complaints against German operators including DB. You can file a complaint online or by post.

France

Autorité de régulation des transports (ART) — France's transport regulatory authority handles complaints about SNCF and TGV INOUI. They also have a mediation service.

United Kingdom

Rail Ombudsman — For Delay Repay disputes with UK operators, the Rail Ombudsman is the first port of call. They offer free dispute resolution. Not all UK operators are members, but the major franchised operators are.

Sweden

Transportstyrelsen — Sweden's Transport Agency handles complaints about SJ and other Swedish operators. They have an English-language complaints process.

Netherlands

ACM (Autoriteit Consument and Markt) — The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets oversees passenger rights for NS and other Dutch operators.

Austria

Schienen-Control GmbH — Austria's rail passenger rights body handles complaints about ÖBB and other Austrian operators. They also have an online complaint portal.

Spain

Ministerio de Transportes, Movilidad y Agenda Urbana — Spain's Ministry of Transport oversees Renfe and handles formal complaints from passengers.

Belgium

Service de Mediation pour les Voyageurs du Train — Belgium's train mediation service handles SNCB complaints in French, Dutch, and German.

Italy

Autorità di Regolazione dei Trasporti (ART) — Italy's transport regulator handles complaints about Trenitalia and Italo.

Cross-border journeys

If your journey crossed multiple countries, you can typically escalate to the regulator of either the country where the delay occurred or the country where the operator is based. Choose whichever is more practical for you.

How long does escalation take?

Regulators typically take 8 to 12 weeks to reach a resolution. This is longer than a direct operator response, but the outcome is usually more reliable — operators that ignore individual passengers tend to respond promptly when a regulator is involved.

During this time, keep all documentation: your original claim, any responses received, and the chase letter you sent.

Using TrainOwed for escalation

If your original claim was submitted through TrainOwed, escalation is included in the service at no extra cost. We monitor response timelines and trigger the escalation process automatically if an operator fails to respond.

If you submitted your claim directly and are now stuck, you can still transfer your case to TrainOwed. We will review your claim, write any necessary appeals, and escalate to the regulator if needed. Because we work on a no-win, no-fee basis, you pay nothing unless we recover your compensation.

Key rule: silence is not rejection

Some passengers assume that if the operator does not reply, the claim has been rejected. It has not. An operator that does not reply to your claim within 30 days is in breach of EU law, not in the clear. Do not accept silence. Act on it.

Your claim remains valid for one year from the date of travel. You have time. Use the escalation route if the operator will not engage.