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Hello,

I would like to share my experience with Renfe trains in Spain on the Cádiz - Seville Santa Justa route on October 4, 2024, which my wife, our one-year-old child, and I encountered during our recent holiday.

 

Renfe train departed on time at 7:35 from Cádiz and was supposed to arrive in Seville at 9:08. Due to a train breakdown, we arrived in Seville at around 12:00 by a replacement bus. Of course, such incidents can happen, but unfortunately, this was not just an ordinary trip but part of our journey home, as our flight to Krakow was scheduled to depart from Seville airport at 11:35.

 

Unfortunately, the plane did not wait for us, so we had to arrange accommodation and an alternative flight back to Poland. We incurred unexpected costs for a hotel in Seville, transportation to the hotel, and, of course, another flight home. It’s also worth noting that there was no flight to Krakow, where our car was parked, so we had to travel an additional 500 kilometers from another airport in Poland, incurring further costs. Not to mention the stress this situation caused us. In the end, we made it home safely, but we would like to try to recover more than just the cost of the Renfe tickets.

 

We have not yet submitted any claims, but referring to the article mentioned above, we are hopeful there might be a chance to recover some of the costs related to the additional flight. Where should we go with this case? Do you think is it possible to claim reimbursement for other costs such as the hotel?

What is the "article mentioned above” you are referring to? Do you have a link?

What kind of ticket were you using? A pass with a reservation, a regular train ticket, anything else?

In general though, don't expect too much. Operators (rail or otherwise) are often not obliged to pay any consequential damages, such as for the new flight, the hotel etc. This is determined by national law. The only possible exception is when you've booked a train + flight combination ticket and then still it depends on the exact terms and conditions. You can of course always try.

The only thing you are entitled to is compensation for delay:

https://www.renfe.com/es/en/help/punctuality-commitment


https://facua.org/en/noticias/renfe-sentenced-to-pay-out-465-euros-in-compensation-to-facua-member-who-missed-a-flight-due-to-ave-train-cancellation/


That's an interesting article. That could mean that national laws in Spain do allow claiming (some?) consequential damages. Although the situation may have changed since 2017. As a start, you could check if Royal Decree 2387/2004, mentioned in the article, is still in force.


Yes, according to ChatGPT it’s still in force

https://www.trainvelling.com/en/spain/renfe/renfe-eliminates-its-voluntary-punctuality-commitment/


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