Rail passengers get new rights across EU
4 December 2009
Rail passengers have new rights that will protect them and their belongings when they travel by train anywhere within the European Union.
The new consumer code, called EU Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007, entered into force on 3 December. It enshrines rail travellers' basic rights and imposes a number of obligations on rail companies.
It is expected that some Member States - including Ireland - will seek time to implement some of the changes on local train services (as opposed to cross-border routes).
Air passengers already enjoy an extensive set of rights under EU European legislation. The European Commission has also proposed similar legislation to protect the rights of people travelling by ferry, bus or coach. These laws could be adopted as early as next year.
Summary of rights
The new rights for rail passengers will:
- Guarantee disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility non-discriminatory access to trains and assistance
- Strengthen the right to compensation when luggage gets lost or damaged (up to about €1,285 per piece of luggage)
- Reinforce passengers' right to compensation if journeys are delayed or cancelled. The minimum compensation amounts to 25% of the ticket price for delays between one and two hours and to 50% of the ticket price for delays of two hours or more
- Give rail passengers the right to be informed comprehensively before and during their journey about delays
- Make it easier to buy rail tickets
- Oblige rail companies to set up a complaint handling mechanism for these and other rights and obligations covered by the new regulation
- Oblige Member States to ensure that passengers can lodge a complaint to an independent body, if passengers consider that their rights have not been correctly implemented
Timescale of changes
To give time to railway undertakings to adapt to the new rules on passenger rights, Member States can request not having to implement some of these rights for a period of up to 15 years for services limited to the national territory.
As local services (i.e. urban, suburban or regional services) are different in character from long-distance services, Member States can request permanent derogations for such services but not for cross-border services within the EU (such as the Dublin-Belfast line).
Learn more
Read our guide to consumer rights and travel
For more information and a summary of the rail passenger rights, see the Europa.eu website