Train passengers affected by a cancellation or delay due to the derailment of the high-speed tunnel between Atocha and Chamartín can claim the price of the ticket, accommodation or food, in accordance with European regulations and the codes of conduct of the companies.
For example, Renfe states on its website that it will refund 100% of the ticket for a delay of more than 90 minutes and 50% for a delay of 60 minutes or more. This corresponds to the commercial services of AVE, Avlo, Alvia, Euromed, Intercity and Long Distance trains.
In the case of Media Distancia trains, the company indicates that if the delay is more than 15 minutes, it will reimburse 25%; 50% if the delay is more than 30 minutes, and 100% if the delay is more than 60 minutes.
These compensations can be requested 24 hours after the arrival of the train and customers have a maximum period of three months from the date of travel to request compensation. To do it from Renfe you can use the website and it is necessary to have the ticket number.
Corporate bonds
In addition, Facua recalls that railway companies are required to offer the continuation of the journey under comparable transport conditions and as soon as possible, or the continuation of the journey or travel on an alternative route, under comparable transport conditions, at a later date, that is to say practical for the traveler.
If the traveler has not been informed of the possibilities of traveling on an alternative route within 100 minutes before the scheduled departure, he will have the right to conclude such a contract with other railway, coach or bus companies. In these cases, the railway company has the obligation to reimburse the traveler for necessary, appropriate and reasonable costs.
In the event that a train trip is not among those canceled but suffers a delay for which the ticket price has not been refunded, European regulations indicate that the users affected are entitled to compensation.
Ways to claim compensation
Renfe reminded that affected users can contact customer service to resolve any questions (912 320 320) or station staff. At the same time, it will keep the information updated on its official social media accounts (@Inforenfe).
According to the company’s operations director, Óscar Gómez Barbero, Renfe also contacts travelers via SMS, email and WhatsApp two hours before their trip departs.
The spokesperson announced that there would be compensation apart from the usual claim and that double points would be awarded for the ticket purchased. “There is no one to compensate for this, but it is a way of recognizing that this situation is something more than normal,” he said.
Accommodation for affected travelers
According to European regulations, in the event that the consumer wants a stay of one or more nights, the railway company must also provide accommodation in a hotel or other place, as well as transport between the station and the place of accommodation.
This could be limited to a maximum of three nights in the event of “extraordinary circumstances unrelated to railway operations”, such as for example an “extreme weather phenomenon, the fault of the passenger or the behavior of third parties such as the railway company, despite the diligence required by the particularities of the case, from which she could not escape and of which she could not ignore the consequences.
In addition, if the delay is more than 60 minutes, the railway company must offer free meals and snacks, in quantities appropriate to the waiting time.
Renfe’s commitment to punctuality
Finally, Facua recalls that Renfe includes its own punctuality commitment, which sometimes exceeds that established by European regulations, and establishes its own compensation.
The operator indicates on its website that it undertakes to provide compensation regardless of the reason for the delay. Only in the case of medium-distance trains, Renfe specifies that “it reserves the right to temporarily suspend the voluntary commitment to punctuality in the event of exceptional circumstances”, which must be justified each time.
In all cases, the association indicates that users affected by a delay will always be entitled, at a minimum, to the compensation provided for by European regulations.
How affected Iryo customers can claim
Customers whose travel with Iryo has been suspended can request information from the company’s customer service center (91 150 00 00) and via station screens.
Iryo announced that journeys between Madrid and Alicante, in both directions, will be made this Sunday by bus. It will depart from Madrid at 12 Méndez Álvaro Street, next to the Atocha station. For its part, the Alicante bus will leave from the station car park.
In addition, the company has indicated that for trips to or from Valencia, trips will be made by train but will only depart or arrive in Atocha and not in Chamartín.
Ouigo offers alternatives to its travelers
The Ouigo company reported that 50 percent of its services are canceled, as well as delays and schedule changes in operational trains that depart and arrive from Madrid, Valencia, Alicante, Elche, Murcia, Cuenca, Valladolid, Albacete and Segovia.
In order to minimize the impact on passengers, the company is in constant contact with them to offer them alternatives and suitable solutions and hopes that traffic can be restored as soon as possible.
