Rail delay compensation even during storms, snow or ice
from Jürgen Vogl
As a general rule, rail travelers with one-way tickets are entitled to compensation for delays on long-distance services even in the event of force majeure, i.e. even if the train was delayed due to a storm, snow or strike. However, this does not apply if you were informed of the delay before purchasing the ticket. In this case, there is a mutual obligation to provide information: the rail company is obliged to inform you online or at the ticket counter about any delays and cancellations, and you are also obliged to obtain this information.
If you purchase a one-way ticket (excluding regional services), you are entitled to compensation amounting to 25 percent of the ticket price if you are more than 60 minutes late, and 50 percent if you are more than 120 minutes late. Compensation is usually only paid out from a minimum amount of four euros, below which the company can exclude compensation.
The following also applies to one-way tickets: If a train is delayed by more than 60 minutes, a train is canceled or a connecting train is missed due to a train delay, passengers have the right to forgo the onward journey and receive a pro rata refund of the fare, or to postpone the journey to a later date at no extra charge. If a journey becomes pointless as a result, for example because a business appointment can no longer be attended, passengers are entitled to free return transportation. If necessary, the rail company must extend the period of validity of the tickets or make them valid for alternative routes (e.g. for train-based SparSchiene tickets).
For weekly and monthly tickets, the rail companies can set the amount of compensation themselves. Information on this can be found on the websites of the respective railroad companies. The largest Austrian railroad company, ÖBB-Personenverkehr, pays 1.50 euros for every 20 minutes of delay for which a confirmation is available. Compensation is only paid out from four euros.
If you have an annual ticket, you are not entitled to compensation for a single journey. However, every canceled or delayed train is included in the punctuality statistics required by law. In regional transport, a punctuality rate of at least 95 percent applies for each rail company. If this is not met, you are entitled to compensation of at least 10 percent of the rail ticket price for each month in which the punctuality level was not met. With ÖBB-Personenverkehr , you are only entitled to compensation if you register in advance, i.e. as soon as you receive your annual pass, on the Internet or at a ticket counter.
Regardless of the ticket, the following applies to all passengers: If a train gets stuck on the line, e.g. due to a fallen tree, the railroad company is obliged to organize a rail replacement service and take the passengers to the destination of the transport service or at least to the next station.