French TGV passengers to be given refunds for ALL delays
Oliver Gee - [email protected]
Published: 29 Nov, 2016 CET.
Updated: Tue 29 Nov 2016 12:04 CET
Passengers on France's high-speed TGV trains are set to get a more generous compensation plan which means they can get refunds for delays even if they were not the fault of SNCF.
Rail network SNCF is rolling out the new compensation plan on Thursday, Le Parisien newspaper revealed.
The move will be introduced to keep France in line with European regulations, and will apply to all TGV and Intercité trains.
You'll be able to make the claims online, rather than via the paper envelopes that are currently issued on the platforms when a train arrives late.
"We have decided to make this guarantee the best in Europe," Rachel Picard, director of Voyages SNCF told AFP.
From 1 December, "the traveler will be guaranteed to be reimbursed if there is a delay of more than 30 minutes and whatever the reason for the delay", she said.
And perhaps best of all, the compensation will be for all delays. Previously, delays that weren't the fault of the company - such as fallen trees or accidents on the track - didn't warrant a refund.
Delayed trains in France, not such bad news anymore. Photo: AFP
When making a claim online, SNCF has pledged to respond to all cases within five days.
Passengers will be eligible for a 25 percent refund if the train is delayed between 30 mins and 2 hours, a fifty percent refund if the delay is between two and three hours, or a 75 percent refund thereafter.
The refund will also be issued online and passengers can use the e-vouchers to book another trip in the future.
Le Parisien pointed out that SNCF should have rolled out the changed in 2014 to keep in line with European regulations, something that the rail company is yet to address.
On other lines, IDTGV and Ouigo are only offering compensation if the delay is caused by the company, each only offereing between 25 and 50 percent back.
Passengers on TER, RER, or Transilien lines will not see rule changes to current reimbursement policies.
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Rail network SNCF is rolling out the new compensation plan on Thursday, Le Parisien newspaper revealed.
The move will be introduced to keep France in line with European regulations, and will apply to all TGV and Intercité trains.
You'll be able to make the claims online, rather than via the paper envelopes that are currently issued on the platforms when a train arrives late.
"We have decided to make this guarantee the best in Europe," Rachel Picard, director of Voyages SNCF told AFP.
From 1 December, "the traveler will be guaranteed to be reimbursed if there is a delay of more than 30 minutes and whatever the reason for the delay", she said.
And perhaps best of all, the compensation will be for all delays. Previously, delays that weren't the fault of the company - such as fallen trees or accidents on the track - didn't warrant a refund.
Delayed trains in France, not such bad news anymore. Photo: AFP
When making a claim online, SNCF has pledged to respond to all cases within five days.
Passengers will be eligible for a 25 percent refund if the train is delayed between 30 mins and 2 hours, a fifty percent refund if the delay is between two and three hours, or a 75 percent refund thereafter.
The refund will also be issued online and passengers can use the e-vouchers to book another trip in the future.
Le Parisien pointed out that SNCF should have rolled out the changed in 2014 to keep in line with European regulations, something that the rail company is yet to address.
On other lines, IDTGV and Ouigo are only offering compensation if the delay is caused by the company, each only offereing between 25 and 50 percent back.
Passengers on TER, RER, or Transilien lines will not see rule changes to current reimbursement policies.
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