With heavy snowfalls and ice throughout Europe, including here in Austria, many rail travelers have been left wondering this week if they can claim refunds from train companies after their planned trips were cancelled or delayed.
After all, with EU rules being changed recently so that European rail travelers are no longer entitled to compensation in the event of extreme weather, it is highly likely your train company will not be refunding your ticket if you couldn’t use it, or be compensating you if you were hours late.
(And if anyone thinks the bureaucrats at the EU have the average European citizens’ best interests at heart when they pass these regulations, I have a bridge over the Danube I can sell you cheap. Yes, I detest the EU. Sue me).
Luckily, Austrian railway companies ÖBB and Westbahn are proving they have better morals than much of the EU, as they have announced they will be giving refunds for cancelled or delayed train travel just like they have always done.
Despite the new EU rules.
According to Austria’s public broadcaster ORF and their radio broadcaster Ö1, Maria-Theresia Röhsler a representative from Agentur für Passagier- und Fahrgastrechte (the Agency for Passenger and Passenger Rights (apf)) said earlier today, in principle, passengers should be entitled to a 25 percent refund of a train ticket if your train was delayed for more than one hour, and 50 percent if it was delayed for longer than two hours.
You can also claim money back for a taxi or a hotel stay if the train station doesn’t offer a solution to your lost train travel.