The right exists and the sum is fixed — what remains is getting paid. More claims are lost at this step than anywhere else, for reasons the regulation expressly forbids.
Filing the claim and what the operator must accept
The claim goes to the operator, which may not reject it merely because its own form was not used. Transaction fees may not be deducted.
✓ Verified: 02/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
DOCUMENTS 3
› Details and tips
👨🏻💻
Max recommends:
I was told it only worked with their form. I quoted the provision prohibiting exactly that rejection, and the money arrived without the form.
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Send the claim traceably and keep a copy. The dispute is usually not about the right but about whether a claim was ever received.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Must I use the operator form? ▾
No. The regulation expressly prohibits rejecting claims solely on the ground that the passenger did not use that form. The form is convenient but not a condition.
What if the claim is not precise enough? ▾
Where a claim is insufficiently precise, the railway undertaking must ask the passenger for clarification and assist them in providing it. Silently rejecting an imprecise claim is not what the regulation envisages.
May fees be deducted from the payment? ▾
No. Compensation may not be reduced by financial transaction costs such as fees, telephone costs or postage. The calculated amount is what gets paid.
What should go with the claim? ▾
The ticket showing the fare and evidence of the actual delay. Staff can confirm it on the spot, or you can secure it yourself with a photo of the departure board or a screenshot of the train information.