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TRAVEL NEWS

How to get compensated for rail delays and cancellations in Sweden

There were severe delays across most parts of the railway network in Sweden on Thursday. By Friday, most trains were running as normal, but if you were delayed you could be entitled to a full or partial refund of your ticket. Here is how.

How to get compensated for rail delays and cancellations in Sweden
Thursday's disruptions on the railways caused delays and cancelations across many parts of Sweden. Photo: Johan Nilsson / TT / Kod 50090

On Thursday evening we reported on the severe delays and cancellations which affected most of the Swedish railway network south of Norrland. On Friday, most trains were back up and running as normal. 

However, there have been some train delays in and around Örebro due to an electrical fault just south of the city lingering on from Thursday. At the time of writing, they have not yet been able to fix the failure, and acording to TT, this is mostly affecting regional trains between Uppsala, Stockholm C and Örebro and between Hallsberg, Borlänge and Gävle. 

There are also reports of a signal failure between Linköping and Nörrköping.

The cause of Thursday’s disruptions, which affected all train operators between Stockholm and Gothenburg, was a combination of a series of incidents including a power outage, and a fire in the vicinity of Hallsberg. Trains between Stockholm and Malmo were also affected.

By 5:40pm, SJ said their trains were back in operation. 

Was your train delayed or cancelled?

If your train was canceled or delayed, you might be entitled to claim compensation, under EU passenger protection regulation. 

For long-distance train journeys of 150km or more the following compensation is available:

  • Compensation of 25 percent of the original ticket price if the delay was between one and two hours. 
  • If the delay was more than two hours long, calculated from the estimated time of arrival on your ticket to the time you actually arrive, you are entitled to be compensated with 50 percent of the original price of the ticket. 

If the journey was less than 150km in distance, the compensation is higher:

  • In the event of a 20-minute delay, you can receive a refund of 50 percent of the ticket price.
  • In the event of a 40-minute delay, your refund corresponds to 75 percent of the ticket price.
  • In the event of a 60-minute delay, you can get the entire ticket price refunded.

How to claim for compensation?

In order to claim compensation for your delay you need to contact the train company you travelled with, fill in the form and submit proof of travel.

These are the links to claim for compensation on the main train companies that operate in Sweden:

  • SJ 
  • MTRX (only available in Swedish). The company says on their website that their customer service is overwhelmed with compensation requests and that they will “compensate all passengers automatically for the delays of the 21st of July 2022” 
  • Flixtrain
  • Snälltåget
  • Vy (Sweden)

Due to the number of requests, this process might take a bit longer than usual, but you should get your refund in cash by bank transfer eventially.

Is your journey currently being disrupted?

If your train journey is currently being disrupted and the delays are predicted to last an hour or more, you are also entitled to refreshments on board the train or vouchers at the station so that you can buy a snack whilst you wait.

It is the train operator’s responsibility to make sure you reach your final destination and to book you free of charge onto another train or bus and also to pay for your hotel if the only solution is to travel the following day.

For more information on passenger rights for traveling by train, plane, bus or ferry within the European Union check the page on Passenger Rights on the EU’s website. 

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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The government is working on the assumption that the system will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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