Refusals arrive more often than expected and almost always in the same wording. It can be tested: the regulation itself defines what counts as extraordinary and what is merely weather.
Refusals: extraordinary circumstances and the enforcement body
Compensation falls away in extraordinary circumstances, but ordinary weather is not one of them. Against a refusal stands the national enforcement body.
✓ Verified: 02/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
DOCUMENTS 3
› Details and tips
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Save the stated cause from the app or the departure board on the same day. A month later the refusal may name a different cause, and there will be nothing to compare it with.
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Max recommends:
I was refused on weather grounds although it was ordinary autumn rain. A submission to the supervisory body ended in payment, with no court involved.
Useful Tools
- Schlichtungsstelle Reise und Verkehr consumer
Official arbitration body for disputes with airlines and railways. Free of charge for passengers.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
When is no payment due? ▾
Where the undertaking can show the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances such as extreme weather or major natural disasters endangering safe operation. The burden of proof lies with the undertaking, not the passenger.
Does ordinary bad weather count? ▾
No. The regulation expressly distinguishes such events from normal seasonal weather conditions, citing autumn storms as an example. Pointing to rain or snow does not by itself excuse payment.
Are there other cases without compensation? ▾
Yes, two named expressly: where the passenger was informed of the delay before buying the ticket, and where the arrival delay stayed lower because the journey continued with another service or a changed route.
Where do I go if the refusal is unfounded? ▾
To the national body that enforces passenger rights: in Germany the Federal Railway Authority. It works to bring the undertaking to meet its obligations, including paying compensation or reimbursement.