| season ticket | 1st class | 2nd class |
|---|---|---|
| for long-distance transport | 7.50 EUR | 5.00 EUR |
| BahnCard 100 | 15.00 EUR | 10.00 EUR |
| for local public transport | 2.25 EUR | 1.50 EUR |
If holders of a season ticket are repeatedly affected by delays of at least 20 minutes during the period of validity of the season ticket, they can collect these cases and submit them for compensation. In these cases, compensation will be paid for every full 60 minutes of delay in accordance with the above-mentioned flat rates.
It should be noted that the Passenger Rights Ordinance provides for a de minimis limit of EUR 4.00. Accordingly, passengers with a season ticket for local transport only receive compensation for delays if they were affected by several delays during the period of validity of their ticket. For example, a 2nd class season ticket for local transport requires three delays of more than 60 minutes during the period of validity (3 x EUR 1.50 = EUR 4.50).
If an arrival delay of more than 60 minutes at the destination of the contract of carriage is foreseeable, passengers have the choice between a refund of the full ticket price or free replacement transportation.
If the delay occurs during the journey, travelers may abort the journey and return to their starting point free of charge at the next opportunity. The full fare will also be refunded if the journey is interrupted. In this case, however, passengers cannot claim additional compensation for the delay.
Under certain conditions, substitute transportation can also be provided by other transport companies. If passengers do not receive an offer for alternative transportation from their railroad company within 100 minutes of the scheduled departure time, they can buy a ticket for alternative transportation with another train or bus company and then have the necessary costs reimbursed by their railroad company. The use of a cab is generally not intended and should be clarified in advance with the railroad company if necessary.
At night, less stringent conditions apply to substitute transportation: If a delayed arrival at the contractual destination of at least 60 minutes is to be expected between 00:00 and 05:00 or if the last scheduled train of the day is canceled so that the destination can no longer be reached by 24:00, passengers may use an alternative means of transport (e.g. bus, cab) and will be reimbursed by the railroad company for any costs incurred up to a maximum of EUR 120.00.
In local transport, passengers can choose alternative transportation even in the event of minor delays: If the expected delay at the destination is at least 20 minutes, passengers can use another train, even a higher-quality train, and will be reimbursed by the railroad company. However, significantly discounted season tickets, such as day tickets for individual federal states and the Deutschland-Ticket, are excluded from this regulation.
If the transport service is delayed by 60 minutes, railroad companies must provide assistance during the waiting time if possible: Catering (does not apply to local services) and, if necessary, overnight accommodation including transfers.
The railway undertaking is also obliged to provide assistance if it can invoke an exclusion of liability.
Whether a claim actually exists in your case depends on the specific individual case. The presentation of rights is only intended to provide an initial overview and is not exhaustive.
The European Union website provides a comprehensive presentation of passenger rights for rail travelers.
