Train strike in Austria: when will the ticket costs be returned? Who pays for hotel cancellations?
Are the ticket costs refunded?
Booked a ticket and no train is running? The ticket costs are returned: the train connection for Sparschiene tickets that are valid during the strike period is loud ÖBB canceled. These tickets, as well as other tickets booked for travel during the strike, are valid up to and including December 5, 2022 or can be canceled and refunded if you do not travel. Cancellation requests with the travel date November 28th can also be asserted later.
What applies to holders of an Austria Card?
In principle, there is a right to compensation if there are more than three delays of more than 30 minutes: 20 euros for second class, 30 euros for 1st class. With daily, weekly and monthly tickets, the claim for compensation is rather negligible: 1.5 euros per delay experienced.
Does the ÖBB have to bear the costs for alternative means of travel for a planned journey – for example for a taxi?
The EU regulation on the rights and obligations when traveling by train only regulates that the money is returned in the event of a train cancellation or that a later travel date must be possible. If you organize the trip yourself because you urgently need to go to the airport or to an event, you can charge Deutsche Bahn for a maximum of “reasonable costs” (bus, etc.), as you can with the AK Styria stressed. The reimbursement of costs for rental cars or taxis is questionable.
Hotel booked, no train goes there
For everyone who loses a day in a hotel that has already been booked as a result of the strike, the following applies: You can claim damages from the railways – but with relatively little chance of success.
What is the regulation behind it?
The rights of passengers in rail traffic are regulated throughout the EU in Regulation (EC) No. 1371/2007 of October 23, 2007. In addition to numerous other passenger rights, this ordinance provides that the passenger is entitled to 25 percent of the ticket price for a delay of 60 minutes and up to a delay of 119 minutes, and 50 percent of the ticket price for a delay of 120 minutes or more (Article 17 VO ( EG) 1371/2007), this in addition to the other damage that the passenger suffers as a result of the delay. In view of the exceptions to this liability, it is determined that the carrier shall be relieved from this liability if the failure, delay or missed connection is due to circumstances outside the railway undertaking, the carrier does not die notwithstanding the exercise of all due care required by the circumstances of the case avoided and whose consequences could not be averted. “One can also count a strike among such circumstances,” said Grazer Attorney Christian Horwath stressed.
However, these regulations apply to single long-distance tickets. When looking at urban, suburban or regional rail passenger services, Member States may provide for exceptions. According to Horwath, this was implemented in Austria for the ÖBB in such a way that if the punctuality level of 95 percent stipulated by law in local and regional transport was not achieved, the journey with annual tickets per month was deducted 10 percent of the calculated part of the compensation basis for one month delay compensation credited. Season ticket holders receive compensation for delays if they experienced a delay of more than 20 minutes on their train journey and this delay was confirmed to them either by the train staff or by the ticket office staff immediately after the train arrived.
More answers about the ÖBB strike
Many questions about strikes, tickets, passenger rights and disruptions answered ÖBB on this page.