No more compensation in exceptional circumstances
- extreme, seasonally atypical weather conditions
- natural disasters
- Intervention by third parties (e.g. people in the track bed, cable theft, sabotage)
- Fault of train passengers (e.g. improper pulling of the emergency brake)
The regulation also states: “Furthermore, a railway undertaking should not be obliged to pay compensation if it can demonstrate that the delay was caused by a serious public health crisis, such as a pandemic”.
In any case, the railway companies must prove that the extraordinary circumstances were unavoidable, even “if all reasonable measures” had been taken. The reasons for the delay must not be your own responsibility. According to the European Consumer Center in Germany, rail passenger rights apply “in all EU member states as well as in Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – for long-distance and local traffic.”
