What Happens When Your European Train Is Late

What Happens When Your European Train is Late

Your train is stopped between stations, the platform board shows a 90-minute delay, and you have no idea whether you are owed money or just stranded. The short answer: under EU Regulation 2021/782, you are entitled to 25% of your ticket price back for delays of 60 to 119 minutes, and 50% for delays of 120 minutes or more. The long answer involves national carriers with different forms, deadlines, and loopholes that determine whether you actually collect that money.

The Compensation Thresholds You Can Actually Collect

When The EU Rules Kick In

EU Regulation 2021/782 sets the minimum: 25% of the ticket price for a 60-119 minute delay, and 50% for 120 minutes or more. But those percentages have a built-in escape valve. If the compensation works out to less than €4 per ticket, the carrier does not have to pay it. A €15 regional fare delayed by 90 minutes triggers a €3.75 entitlement. You receive nothing. That is legal.

Britain Operates On Its Own Rules

The UK left the EU framework but its own Delay Repay scheme offers earlier thresholds. Under the 2024 National Rail Conditions of Travel, a delay of 15 minutes qualifies for 25% of a single fare. At 30 minutes that rises to 50%. At 60 minutes you get 100% of the single fare. At 120 minutes the entire return fare is refunded. The catch is the 28-day claim window. Miss that deadline and the carrier keeps every penny.

Vouchers Or Cash: You Choose

The carrier must offer cash or bank transfer unless you explicitly agree to a voucher. Do not accept a voucher unless you are certain you will use that railway again within a year. The carrier must pay within one month of your claim. If they fail, escalate to the National Enforcement Body for that country, or in Britain to the Rail Ombudsman or Transport Focus.

The HOTNAT Rule: Your Right to Board the Next Train

How The Rule Works

When a missed connection is the railway's fault, you have the right to take the next available train without buying a new ticket. This is the HOTNAT rule, and it is stronger than most passengers assume. If you hold a single through ticket covering both legs, the original carrier must rebook you at no cost on any service that gets you to your destination, regardless of who runs that service.

Separate Tickets Change Everything

If you bought each leg as a separate ticket, the carrier has no obligation to help. Your missed connection is treated as your own loss. You must buy a new ticket for the second leg. The exception is the Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC), a voluntary pact among 17 European railways. If both your tickets are on AJC-member services and the first train is delayed at least 20 minutes, the first carrier can endorse your ticket through a stamp or digital confirmation. That endorsement lets you board any AJC member's train without a new ticket. Get that endorsement before leaving the platform.

What To Do When It Hits 60 Minutes

At a 60-minute delay the carrier must provide meals and refreshments, and if the delay forces an overnight stay, accommodation up to €80 per night for a maximum of three nights. You are also entitled to two free phone calls, faxes, or emails. Ask the station staff or conductor specifically for these. They will not volunteer them. If your trip no longer serves its purpose, demand a full refund of the unused portion plus a free return to your origin, payable within 14 days.

The Safety Net That Fails More Often Than it Works

Force majeure lets carriers refuse compensation entirely. Strikes by non-carrier staff, extreme weather, persons on the track, and third-party acts all qualify. But under EU 2021/782, a strike by the carrier's own staff is not force majeure. Compensation must still be paid. That distinction matters in France and Italy, where carrier staff strikes are a seasonal reality. Check union calendars before you travel. A strike announced in advance triggers the same compensation rights as an equipment failure.

Photograph the departure board showing the delay and the time it was taken before you leave the platform. Carriers require proof, and the station clock on the board is your verifiable timestamp. Without that photograph, your claim rests on memory alone.

The Honest Caveat

The system works better on paper than on the ground. Claim forms are often in the national language only. Carriers reject claims for small amounts automatically. The €4 minimum payout floor means cheap regional tickets generate no compensation at all. Plan for delays as a certainty, not a possibility, and treat any compensation you eventually collect as a bonus, not a reimbursement. The single thing that most often goes wrong is not the delay itself. It is arriving home with no photographic evidence and a claim window that has already closed.