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What compensations is there from SNCF for trip that terminated before final destination due to vandalism on the the line?

  • 19 April 2023
  • 2 replies
  • 79 views
Gregs

We were on the 12th April Paris-Hendaye train that got terminated at Bordeaux due to vandalism further down the line.  We were travelling on a first class eurail pass so consumed one travel day on it plus the additional first class reservation charges.  

Are we entitled to any compensation for the bus tickets we had to buy to complete our journey to San Sebastian and the approximate 7 hour delay to our arrival as a result?

Most of the information I can find relates to trains that are either cancelled entirely or delayed, but not to trains that commence the journey but fail to complete it.

 

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Best answer by rvdborgt 19 April 2023, 09:28

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SNCF (French railways) was responsible for getting you to your planned destination and was obliged to offer an alternative. If they didn't do that (did you ask the staff?), then they should reimburse you for any reasonable costs you had to make to arrange this yourself.

You can get a compensation for delay from Eurail via this form:

https://www.eurail.com/en/help/delay-compensation

Please ask questions in the community and not via a private message. That's the quickest way to get a response. I don't work for Eurail/Interrail.
Gregs

thanks for your reply.  Problem was staff couldn’t say when trains would be running again. There was absolute turmoil in the the station with announcements only being provided in French (i suspect these were also being provided on the train down from Paris but we didnt know because as in French - unlike Renfe in Spain who do all in Spanish & English which is much appreciated.

The station staff were doing their best in a difficult situation made worse with a baggage scare causing evacuation of the entire station for a while.  

Given there was no timeframe for the next train and limited bus tickets available (and with the planned national strike day the next day) we just just grabbed the last couple of flixbus tickets we could which still didn't get us in to San Sebastian until after 8pm. 

The only suggestions from the staff were either take the train back to Paris or wait and see whether the 5pm train to Hendaye would run (which wouldnt get us into San Sebastián until probably well after 9pm).  Hence the decision to take the bus while we could.

 

 

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