Rail passenger rights in the European Union revolve around one number: sixty minutes of delay on arrival. Everything else is built on top of it.
Delay: from which minute rights arise
Passenger rights start at sixty minutes of delay on arrival. Below that threshold the regulation gives rise to no claims.
✓ Verified: 02/08/2026
WHAT TO DO
DOCUMENTS 2
› Details and tips
👩🏼💼
Lea recommends:
Photograph the departure board showing the actual arrival time. A week later proving the delay is awkward; a timestamped photo settles it at once.
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Max recommends:
My train left forty minutes late and I assumed the case was clear. We arrived almost on schedule — arrival is what counts, and there was nothing to claim.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
At what delay do rights arise? ▾
The decisive threshold is sixty minutes of delay on arrival between the departure and destination points shown on the ticket. From it the regulation counts both the duties en route and the compensation.
Does a delay at departure count? ▾
No, arrival is what matters. A train can leave late and arrive on time — then no claims arise. Conversely a train that departs punctually but arrives badly delayed gives the full set of rights.
What applies when a delay of sixty minutes is expected? ▾
The regulation requires the railway undertaking to offer the passenger a choice without delay where it can reasonably be assumed that arrival at the destination will be sixty minutes or more late. That is a duty, not a courtesy.
And if the train is cancelled entirely? ▾
Cancellation is equivalent to delay in its consequences: the choice must likewise be offered without delay, and the duties of care en route arise on the same basis.