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Transport · Switzerland
Updated September 2026

🚆 My train was delayed or cancelled — how do I get money back?

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, Ombudsstelle öffentlicher Verkehr (ombudsstelle-oev.ch) — the rail passenger body for Switzerland — decides; for cross-border trains, SECO — Unlauterer Wettbewerb (seco.admin.ch) helps for free.

Call firstYour railway operator
Report toOmbudsstelle öffentlicher Verkehr
If that failsSECO — Unlauterer Wettbewerb

🗣️ 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

  1. Keep the proofTicket, the delay confirmation (ask the conductor or the app), receipts for food, taxi, hotel.
  2. Claim from the operatorOnline form; deadline often 1–3 months. Say "cash" — vouchers are optional for you.
  3. Missed connectionSame ticket through to destination: the delay at the final station counts, and you can take the next train.
  4. Refusal or silence: Ombudsstelle öffentlicher VerkehrThe national enforcement body decides; free.
  5. 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
Ombudsstelle öffentlicher VerkehrFree mediation for rail and public transportWhen the operator does not pay🔗 www.ombudsstelle-oev.ch
SECO — Unlauterer WettbewerbReport unfair business practicesFor misleading ads, subscription traps, fake shops🔗 www.seco.admin.ch/seco/de/home/Werbe_Geschaeftsmethoden.html
Stiftung für Konsumentenschutz (SKS)Advice, template letters, complaints deskWhen the seller refuses🔗 www.konsumentenschutz.ch

❓ 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. Ombudsstelle öffentlicher Verkehr knows the exemption list.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

🔎 Common searches

Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.

  • “train delay compensation Switzerland”
  • “train cancelled refund rights”
  • “rail passenger rights complaint Switzerland”
  • “missed connection train compensation”
  • “train delay 60 minutes refund”

🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

🔗 Related questions

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