Solved

Passenger rights: Stranded due to cancelled trains. How to continue on the next day without using up a travel day?


Dear people of InterRail,

due to cancelled trains I am stranded and can continue the journey only tomorrow.

I have already entered the journey which I originally planned in the travel diary. The end point of my today's journey can also not be reached via a different route.

I know that the EU passenger rights apply, which entitle me (a) for a overnight stay for the night and (b) continuing my journey tomorrow without the need to use another InterRail day.

Since tomorrow I wanted to spend a day stationary, I did not want to use an InterRail day at all tomorrow.

My question is now is regarding (b):

What do I need to do that I can continue my journey without the need of another InterRail day?

I have a confirmation of the cancellation of the trains from the train crew of another train company. The company whose trains are canceled does not have a ticket office here.

My tomorrow's journey would 3 or 4 different carriers (all of which accept InterRail).

I don't expect that I can just travel tomorrow with my InterRail valid for today, since the other carriers most probably won't recognise it and the company responsible for the cancellation cannot give me free tickets since they don't have an office here, and the other company which has an office here won't give me free tickets since it is not their fault.

Can I buy a single ticket for tomorrow's trip and get it reimbursed? If not, what should I do in order to get to my journeys endpoint without paying extra and without using up another InterRail day (which would be equivalent to paying extra, since I would miss this day later)?

 

Please, @Nanja and others from InterRail/Eurail, give me an authorative answer until tonight (2022-05-16, 06:00 GMT+2), so that I know what I need to do tomorrow, and so that I can refer to that answer when I hand in for compensation (the hotel I also have to hand in, since I did not get a hotel voucher and have a confirmation of not getting a hotel voucher).


Regards!
 

icon

Best answer by AnnaB 15 May 2022, 17:10

View original

10 replies

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

The best way to get in contact with Customer Support is to fill in this form. Clearly state that it is very urgent and that you are travelling right now.

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/requests/new

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

You need to speak to staff at the point where you are stranded (maybe ask staff in the train to that station where you should go). They are obliged to assist stranded passengers, regardless of where they were delayed. That includes providing what is needed for your journey tomorrow and arranging accommodation for the night. You should not activate a new travel day.

You need to speak to staff at the point where you are stranded (maybe ask staff in the train to that station where you should go). They are obliged to assist stranded passengers, regardless of where they were delayed. That includes providing what is needed for your journey tomorrow and arranging accommodation for the night. You should not activate a new travel day.

RhB ticket office in Tirano did explicitly state they have nothing to do with Trenord (whose trains are cancelled today) and that they will not arrange accomodation. From Trenord, nobody was there (and my experience from train staff in Germany is that they don’t arrange anything, even if obliged by law). I even have a written confirmation from RhB ticket office staff about that fact that they are not responsible and can’t arrange accomodation or anything else. So, even if they are obliged (are they?, given they are not an EU company? OK, Tirano is in the EU, and the onward yourney is in the EU, but how much does this apply to RhB, who have only one station in the EU?) they did not help out further than confirming train cancellations and their non-obligation for anything else.

 

So “who is obliged to to this and that” does not help out in practice, and I already have a German passenger rights case where I had to sue them to get the extra ticket I needed to buy reimbursed, which costs a lot of nerves and I also want to avoid that.

The best way to get in contact with Customer Support is to fill in this form. Clearly state that it is very urgent and that you are travelling right now.

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/requests/new

Done. Thanks for advice. I just got automatic reply that replyes take longer than usual due to high demand, lets see if I get an authorative answer until tomorrow morning.

I have a paper pass.

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

RhB ticket office in Tirano did explicitly state they have nothing to do with Trenord (whose trains are cancelled today) and that they will not arrange accomodation. From Trenord, nobody was there (and my experience from train staff in Germany is that they don’t arrange anything, even if obliged by law). I even have a written confirmation from RhB ticket office staff about that fact that they are not responsible and can’t arrange accomodation or anything else. So, even if they are obliged (are they?, given they are not an EU company? OK, Tirano is in the EU, and the onward yourney is in the EU, but how much does this apply to RhB, who have only one station in the EU?) they did not help out further than confirming train cancellations and their non-obligation for anything else.

So “who is obliged to to this and that” does not help out in practice, and I already have a German passenger rights case where I had to sue them to get the extra ticket I needed to buy reimbursed, which costs a lot of nerves and I also want to avoid that.

It always helps if you give more specifics. I just read the thread on DSO and already wondered if it was the same case.

Switzerland applies Regulation 1371/2007 for international journeys.

The advice on DSO just to travel the next day, with an explanation for the ticket inspector, seems to be the best in this case.

I don't expect a lot from train staff either, but, like I wrote, they should be able to say where to go or whom to contact for assistance.

The best way to get in contact with Customer Support is to fill in this form. Clearly state that it is very urgent and that you are travelling right now.

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/requests/new

No answer until now and now it gets too late, so any official advise from you, @AnnaB, that I can refer to when I send in extra expenses (extra ticket or be it the possible fine I get when I travel with yesterday’s pass)?

I gave the exact travel details in the support request, I do not want to make my detailed travel plan public in this forum here.

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

The best way to get in contact with Customer Support is to fill in this form. Clearly state that it is very urgent and that you are travelling right now.

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/requests/new

No answer until now and now it gets too late, so any official advise from you, @AnnaB, that I can refer to when I send in extra expenses (extra ticket or be it the possible fine I get when I travel with yesterday’s pass)?

I gave the exact travel details in the support request, I do not want to make my detailed travel plan public in this forum here.

I don't have any more advice. @rvdborgt Do you have any more advice to give?

Userlevel 7
Badge +10

Delay Compensation (interrail.eu) says:

 

Compensation for supplements (e.g. reservations) and reimbursement of expenses incurred as a result of the sustained delay (e.g. for alternative means of transportation, accommodation, etc.) fall within carriers’ individual conditions of carriage. If received, such claims will be forwarded to the reservation agent or the provider of carriage concerned for further processing. Compensations for delays whilst travelling with benefit partners or non-railway companies participating in the portfolio are also not covered by this policy. You may however qualify for compensation according to the individual terms and conditions of those carriers and therefore we encourage you to check the details with the provider of the service concerned.

 

How does it work till now? Do you entered a train today yet? 

The best way to get in contact with Customer Support is to fill in this form. Clearly state that it is very urgent and that you are travelling right now.

https://eurail.zendesk.com/hc/en-001/requests/new

No answer until now and now it gets too late, so any official advise from you, @AnnaB, that I can refer to when I send in extra expenses (extra ticket or be it the possible fine I get when I travel with yesterday’s pass)?

[...]

I don't have any more advice. @rvdborgt Do you have any more advice to give?

I thought you were from Eurail group, @AnnaB, because you provided a link to a zendesk issue tracking system. Are you not?

How does it work till now? Do you entered a train today yet?

The complicated part still to come.

Userlevel 7
Badge +10

@AnnaB is not Eurail staff, you see Eurail staff in the forum clicking on the nAme they have Eurail Staff on their account.

Reply