Train delayed in Germany: compensation under rail passenger rights
On the railways the distance does not matter, the fare does: a quarter back from one hour late at your destination, half from two hours.
Compensation
€15.00
60 to 119 minutes: 25% of the fare.
From 20 minutes of expected delay you may take another train; a taxi or other transport up to €120 if you would arrive at least 60 minutes late between midnight and 5 a.m., or if the last connection is cancelled.
Prepared by Radif Partners · Method · law as of October 22, 2026 · 4,008 airports (OurAirports)
If your train reaches your destination station at least 60 minutes late, the railway owes a quarter of the fare for that one-way journey under Article 19 of Regulation (EU) 2021/782, and half from 120 minutes. What counts is the destination on the ticket, not the individual train, so a missed connection is included. Amounts under €4 are not paid out. Season tickets get flat amounts per delay of 60 minutes or more: €1.50 in second class on local transport, €5 on long-distance, €10 with a BahnCard 100, capped at a quarter of the ticket’s value. From 20 minutes of expected delay, the train-specific restriction on saver fares no longer applies. If the railway gives no information for 100 minutes, you may continue by another train or coach. Since June 2023 railways no longer pay compensation for severe weather, people on the track or cable theft; strikes by their own staff do not excuse them. The deadline to apply is three months.
What your fare brings
| One-way fare | From 60 min (25%) | From 120 min (50%) |
|---|---|---|
| €19.99 | €5.00 | €9.99 |
| €39.99 | €10.00 | €20.00 |
| €59.99 | €15.00 | €30.00 |
| €89.90 | €22.48 | €44.95 |
| €139.90 | €34.98 | €69.95 |
On return tickets the price of the affected direction counts; if only a total is shown, half of it. A saver fare of €14.99 with 70 minutes of delay therefore brings nothing, because a quarter of it is under €4. The threshold applies to the computed amount, not the fare.
Enter fare and delay
Compensation
€15.00
| Rate | 25 % |
Season tickets: flat amounts instead of percentages
| Season ticket | Second class | First class |
|---|---|---|
| Local transport, incl. regional passes and Deutschlandticket | €1.50 | €2.25 |
| Long-distance | €5.00 | €7.50 |
| BahnCard 100 | €10.00 | €15.00 |
Cases are collected within the ticket’s validity and submitted together. On local transport you reach the €4 payout threshold only with three cases.
Onward travel, taxis and hotels
From 20 minutes of expected delay at destination you may take another train, and saver fares lose their train restriction (Deutsche Bahn rules). If the last connection of the day is gone and the destination cannot be reached by midnight, the railway pays for another means of transport up to €120, when it offers none itself and cannot be reached. If continuing the same day is impossible or unreasonable, it covers reasonable hotel costs. The legal basis is Regulation (EU) 2021/782 together with the German Railway Traffic Regulations.
If the railway refuses
The söp also arbitrates for railways and is free for passengers. How to file the claim yourself, online or on paper, is on the passenger rights form page. If your trip combines a flight and a train, the flight rules are on the air passenger rights page.