Delays, refunds and complaints

What to do while the train is delayed

First establish whether you can still complete the journey and whether a connection is at risk. Ask the operator for the options it is offering, and keep the answer with your travel record. Do not confuse a voluntary ticket return before departure with abandoning a journey because of disruption. Those are different circumstances and may be handled under different rules.

If you continue travelling, record your actual arrival at the intended destination, not just the largest delay shown at an intermediate station. If you stop travelling, note where and why. Preserve the unused part of the itinerary and any accepted replacement arrangement. This lets the operator understand which part of the contract was affected.

Compensation is not an automatic ticket refund

For journeys to which the relevant provisions of Regulation (EU) 2021/782 apply, Article 19 sets minimum compensation at 25% of the ticket price for a delay of 60–119 minutes and 50% for a delay of 120 minutes or more. Read the article’s conditions and exclusions before treating those figures as an entitlement in your case. Regional and urban services require particular care when checking scope.

A compensation request after completing the journey is different from asking for reimbursement when the journey is abandoned under the applicable rules. Neither the percentage nor a screenshot from MapaPociągów establishes the amount the operator must pay in an individual claim. Explain the journey and request a written decision.

Separate the requests you are making

A refund of a ticket, an alternative route and compensation for a late arrival address different problems. Describe what happened before choosing a form. Did you abandon the trip, finish it later than planned, or pay for an alternative after receiving instructions? A request that explains this sequence is easier to assess than a demand for an unspecified “refund”. Keep each ticket and each leg identifiable, especially if more than one operator was involved.

Regulation (EU) 2021/782 is the legal reference for rail passenger rights. Its scope, exemptions and conditions matter; do not apply a long-distance compensation rule to every urban or regional service without checking. The official UTK guidance and the operator’s current procedure are useful starting points. MapaPociągów does not decide claims. Its displayed delay is travel information, not a certified statement of the actual arrival at the destination covered by your contract.

Build a clear record of the journey

Keep the ticket, booking confirmation, service date, train number, starting station and intended destination. Record the time you actually arrived where the journey was supposed to end. If you have an official notice, a certificate or written instructions from staff, retain those too. Screenshots should include the date and context. A picture of a single delay number without a train or service date is hard to connect to a particular journey.

Write a short chronology while the details are fresh. State what you were told, what alternatives were offered and which option you took. Preserve receipts for additional expenditure, but do not assume that every expense will be reimbursed. Where possible, ask the operator which arrangements it authorises before booking another service or accommodation. Keep original documents in a safe place and submit readable copies through the official procedure.

Send a precise complaint and follow it through

Use the operator’s official complaints channel and identify the outcome you are requesting. Explain the relevant facts in order, attach the necessary evidence and give a way to contact you. Retain the submission confirmation and any case number. If a seller and an operator are both involved, establish which part each handles rather than sending contradictory requests with different journey details.

Read the response carefully. If the claim is rejected, compare the reason with your documents and the rule cited. Correct a missing document or mistaken service date before escalating. UTK provides passenger information and complaint guidance, and the Railway Passenger Ombudsman offers a route for disputes within its remit. Check the current procedure and its prerequisites on the official sites. This article deliberately gives no universal filing deadline or guaranteed payment: those depend on the applicable rule and the individual case.

Frequently asked questions