Compensation with Klimaticket and season tickets
Train delays are often a major annoyance for commuters, especially in the early morning. The apf provides information on how people in possession of a climate ticket or a season ticket can obtain compensation.
Passengers are generally entitled to compensation in the event of train cancellations and delays. On long-distance services , if a delay of more than 60 minutes at the destination is foreseeable, 25 percent of the fare will be refunded. For delays of 120 minutes or more, the refund is even 50 percent. However, this regulation only applies to long-distance travel and only for one-way tickets.
People who use local rail services for early morning travel generally use season tickets (KlimaTicket, monthly ticket, etc.). With such tickets, it is not the individual journey that is used for compensation, but a flat-rate punctuality rate, which is 95 percent in regional transport (with KlimaTicket Austria 93 percent).
A train is considered late if its arrival deviates from the timetable by more than five minutes and 29 seconds. To calculate the compensation basis, all arrivals are measured and converted into a degree of punctuality. The compensation amount is then transferred at the end of the term of the season ticket or KlimaTicket.
Compensation with KlimaTicket
KlimaTicket Austria is a product of One Mobility Ticketing GmbH, a subsidiary of the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK). If the statutory punctuality rate of 93 percent for regional and long-distance trains is not achieved in at least one month for all railroad companies in Austria, those affected receive compensation at the end of the annual ticket's period of validity. Those affected are entitled to ten percent of the compensation base in one month, as stipulated by law.
The compensation basis for ÖBB-Personenverkehr currently amounts to 494.12 euros per year. This corresponds to 41.2 euros per month in which the statutory punctuality rate of 93 percent is not achieved. Persons in possession of the KlimaTicket Österreich receive ten percent of this, i.e. 4.12 euros in compensation from ÖBB-Personenverkehr .
The regional Klimaticket offers of the seven transport associations in Austria are to be distinguished from KlimaTicket Austria. This form of annual ticket is subject to a statutory punctuality rate of 95% for regional trains.
In order to claim compensation, it is necessary to allow One Mobility GmbH to pass on the data to the railroad companies. Subsequently, a registration with ÖBB-Personenverkehr is necessary.
Demands of the apf for an improvement of passenger rights
The apf is in favor of a significant improvement in passenger rights for all annual ticket holders. The current system for claiming fare compensation for delays is complex, bureaucratic and results in low compensation.
Strengthening the right to compensation in the event of delays, missed connections or train cancellations should not only compensate the passengers affected for the inconvenience, but also encourage rail companies to improve their services in the interests of climate protection and for the benefit of passengers.
The apf therefore proposes, among other things, a uniform punctuality rate, the automatic participation of all persons in possession of ClimateTickets in the compensation and a joint compensation for the entire rail share (instead of applications to the individual companies).