Your EU Train Passenger Rights

EU Regulation 2021/782 entered into force in June 2023, replacing the older Regulation 1371/2007. It strengthens passenger rights across rail services in the EU, setting mandatory rules on compensation, rerouting, assistance, and access to information. Under the regulation, any passenger whose train arrives 60 or more minutes late is entitled to claim 25% of the ticket price for a delay of 60-119 minutes, or 50% for a delay of 120 minutes or more. Most passengers never claim. This guide explains exactly what you are owed, when you can claim, and what operators can and cannot use to refuse. You can also read more on how to submit a claim, check your specific operator, or browse frequently asked questions.

Compensation Rules

What Is Force Majeure?

Force majeure is a narrow legal exemption that allows operators to refuse compensation when a delay was caused by events entirely outside their control. The standard under EU Regulation 2021/782 is high: the operator must show it could not have avoided the circumstances even if it had taken all reasonable precautions.

Events that may qualify as force majeure:

• Extreme weather events of exceptional severity
• Natural disasters affecting the rail network
• Pandemics declared by public health authorities
• Sabotage or serious security incidents on the network

Events that do NOT qualify as force majeure:

• Strikes by the operator's own staff
• Technical failures of rolling stock
• Signal failures and infrastructure faults
• Congestion caused by other delayed trains
• Operational errors and driver shortages
• Routine bad weather within seasonal norms

Right to Refund and Rerouting

Article 18 of EU Regulation 2021/782 gives passengers a choice when a delay at the point of departure is expected to be 60 minutes or more. You can either accept a full refund of your ticket price for the parts of the journey not yet made, or accept rerouting to your destination under comparable conditions at the earliest opportunity or at a later date of your choosing. If you opt for rerouting and the eventual delay at your destination is 60 minutes or more, you are still entitled to delay compensation on top of the rerouting. You do not have to choose: if the operator fails to offer you these options in a timely way, you may claim the costs of alternative transport you arranged yourself, subject to reasonableness.

Right to Assistance

Article 20 of EU Regulation 2021/782 requires operators to provide practical assistance when a delay is expected to be 60 minutes or more at a station. This includes meals and refreshments in reasonable proportion to the waiting time. If the delay makes travel impossible on the same day and you need to stay overnight, the operator must provide accommodation and transport to and from the accommodation. Operators may cap accommodation costs at EUR 80 per night per passenger. If the operator fails to arrange assistance, you can arrange it yourself and claim reimbursement, again subject to reasonableness. Keep all receipts.

Claim Deadlines

Deadlines matter. Missing them means losing your entitlement, regardless of how strong your case is.

• EU operators: Most require claims within 90 days of the delayed journey. Some national laws extend this to one or three years, but operators often apply their own shorter deadlines in their terms and conditions.
• UK Delay Repay: Claims must typically be submitted within 28 days of the delayed journey. Some UK operators allow longer windows, but 28 days is the standard across most train operating companies.

How to Appeal

If an operator rejects your claim, you are not out of options. The escalation path is:

1. Submit a formal written appeal to the operator, citing the specific article of EU Regulation 2021/782 you are relying on and explaining why their rejection reason does not apply.
2. If the internal appeal fails, escalate to the national enforcement body (NEB) in the country where the service is regulated. In Germany this is the Bundesnetzagentur; in France the ARAFER; in the UK the Office of Rail and Road.
3. NEBs have authority to investigate complaints and require operators to comply with the regulation. Their decisions are binding. The process is free for passengers.

Compensation at a Glance