European Commission modernises rights for European Rail Passengers

The European Commission has updated the European rules on rail passenger rights to provide adequate information for passengers, improve rights for disabled passengers, and protect rail operators from compensating passengers under strict circumstances. The Commission has outlined five key areas in its proposal to the existing rules of passengers. Firstly, that long-distance domestic and cross-border regional services
September 29, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

The 1690 European Commission has updated the European rules on rail passenger rights to provide adequate information for passengers, improve rights for disabled passengers, and protect rail operators from compensating passengers under strict circumstances. 

The Commission has outlined five key areas in its proposal to the existing rules of passengers. Firstly, that long-distance domestic and cross-border regional services are no longer exempt from a unified application of passenger rights. In addition, Passengers must know whether rights apply to a whole journey when using connected services with separate tickets. Secondly, for disabled passengers to have the right to assistance on all services and full compensation for loss or repair of mobility equipment. Also, an enforcement on complaint handling with clear deadlines, and finally, a force majeure clause exempting rail companies from having to pay compensation to passengers for delays caused by natural catastrophes.

Karima Delli, chair of parliament’s transport said: “Only truly enforceable passenger rights and compensation in case of delays can help increase the popularity of trains and boost low-carbon multimodal travel.”

She added that MEPs will carefully examine which exemptions for the force majeure exemptions will be granted.

Enforcement

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • EU proposes minimum of 8 million EV charging points by 2020
    January 29, 2013
    The European Commission has unveiled measures to boost the deployment of alternative fuels, including electricity and hydrogen, in EU transport. Under the Clean Power for Transport package, the Commission proposes a minimum number of recharging points per country with common standards for interoperability throughout the EU. Even though alternative fuels, such as electricity and hydrogen are available in the market, there are several obstacles that prevent their wider deployment. According to the European Co
    Read More
  • User-based insurance joins the battle for big data
    November 10, 2015
    User-based insurance is blazing a trail others would like to follow and is also discovering the challenges. The ITS sector needs to keep a very careful eye on the automotive industry: “There’s a war going on in the connected car space creating richer datasets than we ever imagined possible” says Paul Stacy, research and development director of Wunelli, part of the LexisNexis group. The car makers have gone way beyond infotainment, unlocking huge amounts of data in the process … facts and figures which the i
    Read More
  • AV technology ‘could reduce congestion’, says Australian minister
    February 26, 2019
    Congestion costs would drop by more than a quarter if automated vehicles (AVs) account for 30% of kilometres travelled, says Alan Tudge, Australia’s minister for cites urban infrastructure and population. Speaking at the Australia-New Zealand Cities Symposium in Sydney, Tudge revealed findings from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics. “They estimate it would drop from $37 billion of avoidable congestion to $27 billion,” Tudge says. A 30km freeway journey in Melbourne has increas
    Read More
  • US senators announce positive train control legislation
    April 22, 2015
    Following unacceptable delays in adoption of life-saving technology, US Senators Charles Schumer and Richard Blumenthal have announced the Positive Train Control Safety Act. This major rail safety bill ensures railroads are moving forward swiftly to install positive train control technology (PTC), following repeated delays in implementation of this critical technology. The bill also takes important steps to improve rail inspection practices, and enhance safety at grade crossings and work zones following rep
    Read More

Highlighted Content