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Canceling a train can sometimes cause real harm, whether financial or moral . What can you claim from the SNCF? In which cases must it compensate you ?
What should the SNCF offer at the station?
In the event of a train being cancelled , and for any reason whatsoever, the traveler may ask the SNCF to reimburse their ticket. In addition, you should know that a delay of at least 60 minutes is assimilated to a train cancellation and must therefore also give rise to a refund. To obtain a refund for your ticket, you must complete a special sheet (available at the ticket office or distributed by an SNCF agent) and send it to the SNCF.
In which cases must the SNCF compensate me?
If SNCF is responsible for the cancellation or delay of the train, it must compensate the passenger. These are lump-sum indemnities provided for by the 2009 European regulations. The request must be made within 2 months of the cancellation. If you consider that the amount of compensation is insufficient, you can contact the SNCF mediator, explaining the reasons for your dispute.
Are there any exceptions to compensation?
If you have been notified of the cancellation 2 weeks before the departure of the train, the SNCF is not required to compensate you. There is also no compensation if the SNCF offers you a departure on another train at a similar time. Similarly, there is no compensation if the cancellation is due to a case of force majeure: this is the case of exceptional climatic disturbances.
In case of disagreement on compensation
In the event of disagreement on the compensation and if no agreement has been reached with the mediator, the competent court must be seized, which varies according to the amount requested: local judge, district court or high court.
The traveler may not accept compensation if the moral or financial damage has not been taken into account. It is always up to the traveler to quantify the amount of damage suffered, whether moral or financial, and this amount will then be assessed by the judge.
NB
Train delay, support, complaint, reimbursement… In the event of a problem, the SNCF offers the “travel guarantee”.
This cover concerns people subject to SNCF passenger fares who travel in France on board TGV and Intercités trains. It also applies on board international trains operated by SNCF or with its partners in Europe (TGV Lyria, Paris-Frankfurt and Paris-Stuttgart-Munich, TGV Italy). It includes different types of guarantees:
– information guarantee (at the station, on trains and on your mobile with the SNCF Direct application or by telephone on 36 35),
– seat guarantee (for a journey of more than 1h30 in a train with reservation obligation),
– postponement or refund guarantee (if your departing train is postponed by more than 1 hour or cancelled),
– assistance guarantee (for your care and possibly your accommodation in the event of a major problem during your trip),
– punctuality guarantee ( in the event of a delay of more than 30 minutes on arrival),
– the claim guarantee (for a response within a maximum period of 5 days if you have an e-ticket).
DAMY law firm , Nice, My train is cancelled: what can I claim?, Update 2022
