My train was delayed or cancelled — how do I get money back?
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, Drážní úřad / ČOI (ADR) (ducr.cz) — the rail passenger body for Czechia — decides; for cross-border trains, Evropské spotřebitelské centrum ČR (evropskyspotrebitel.cz) helps for free.
🗣️ 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: Drážní úřad / ČOI (ADR)The national enforcement body decides; free.
- Season ticketsPro-rata compensation schemes exist for repeated delays; ask the operator for its scheme.
📇 All contacts
❓ 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. Drážní úřad / ČOI (ADR) knows the exemption list.
📎 Sources
🔎 Common searches
Recognise your own search? The answer above covers all of these.
- “train delay compensation Czechia”
- “train cancelled refund rights”
- “rail passenger rights complaint Czechia”
- “missed connection train compensation”
- “train delay 60 minutes refund”
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