Train delay refund — Médiateur SNCF · France

Direct answer

EU rail passenger rights: 25 % of the ticket back from 60 minutes' delay, 50 % from 120 minutes, plus meals and, if stranded overnight, a hotel — in cash or transfer, not only vouchers, if you ask. Claim from Your railway operator — the operator — within its deadline, with the ticket and the train number. If the operator refuses or does not answer, Médiateur SNCF / Autorité de régulation des transports (sncf.com) — the rail passenger body for France — decides; for cross-border trains, Centre Européen des Consommateurs France (europe-consommateurs.eu) helps for free.

Call firstYour railway operator

Report toMédiateur SNCF / Autorité de régulation des transports

If that failsCentre Européen des Consommateurs France

🗣️ What to say

"Train [number] on [date] from [A] to [B] arrived [minutes] late / was cancelled. Ticket [number/attached]. Under Regulation (EU) 2021/782 I claim [25/50] % of the fare, [amount], in cash to [account], plus [meal / hotel / taxi] costs of [amount], receipts attached."

🪜 Step by step

Keep the proofTicket, the delay confirmation (ask the conductor or the app), receipts for food, taxi, hotel.
Claim from the operatorOnline form; deadline often 1–3 months. Say "cash" — vouchers are optional for you.
Missed connectionSame ticket through to destination: the delay at the final station counts, and you can take the next train.
Refusal or silence: Médiateur SNCF / Autorité de régulation des transportsThe national enforcement body decides; free.
Season ticketsPro-rata compensation schemes exist for repeated delays; ask the operator for its scheme.

📇 All contacts

Your railway operatorDelay refunds and compensation claims, online formWithin the operator's claim window, often 1–3 months

Médiateur SNCF / Autorité de régulation des transportsFree mediation, passenger rightsWhen the operator does not pay🔗 www.sncf.com/fr/service-client/mediateur

Centre Européen des Consommateurs FranceFree help with sellers in other EU countriesSeller in another EU country, Norway or Iceland🔗 www.europe-consommateurs.eu

SignalConso — DGCCRFReport to the seller and the consumer-protection authorityWhen the seller refuses📞 0809 540 550 🔗 signal.conso.gouv.fr

❓ Frequently asked

The delay was "force majeure"

Since 2023 operators can refuse compensation for extreme weather, sabotage or health crises — not for staff shortages or technical failures. Ask which and contest.

I bought two separate tickets

Then the missed connection is your risk unless sold together as a through journey. Buy through tickets where possible.

Regional or commuter train?

Countries may exempt some local services from compensation; the operator's own scheme still applies. Médiateur SNCF / Autorité de régulation des transports knows the exemption list.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

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“train delay compensation France”
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🚆 My train was delayed or cancelled — how do I get money back?