Rail passenger rights_
Last update: 17.02.2010
Dear passengers, the European Union has strengthened your rights in rail transportation.
On 3 December 2009 Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2007 on Rail Passengers' Rights and Obligations entered into force (Regulation).
The rail carrier who provides rail transport services for you is liable for your transportation and for transportation of your luggage and he has to respect your rights guaranteed by the Regulation.
The Regulation applies for international rail passenger transportation. Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications of the Slovak Republic has exempted domestic long distance rail passenger services provided by the Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s. from the application of following provisions of this Regulation:
Article 8: Travel information
Article 13: Advance payments
Article 15: Liability for delays, missed connections and cancellations
Article 17: compensation of the ticket price
Article 18: Assistance
Article 21: Accessibility
Article 22: Assistance at railway stations
Article 23: Assistance on board
Article 25: Compensation in respect of mobility equipment or other specific equipment
Article 28: Service quality standards
Ministry of Transport, Posts and Telecommunications of the Slovak Republic has also exempted permanently domestic urban, suburban and regional rail passenger services provided by the Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s. from the application of all provisions of this Regulation, with the exception of Articles 9, 11,12,19,20 par.1 and 26.
The new Regulation is based on the binding rules declared in Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF)*, Annex A – CIV to COTIF and General Conditions of Carriage for Rail Passengers (GCC-CIV/PRR).
Passengers' rights and obligations in domestic rail passenger transportation on the territory of the Slovak Republic are regulated by the above mentioned Regulation, by general and binding legal norms of domestic legal order of the Slovak Republic and by the Transportation Rules of Železničná spoločnosť, Slovensko, a.s. (PP ZSSK)*.
TRAIN DELAYS
If you are using international rail passenger services (i.e. you have an international travel document) and it is reasonably to be expected that the delay in the arrival at your final destination will be more than 60 minutes (61 minutes and more), then you have the choice between following options:
- you may abandon your journey before starting it and receive a full reimbursement of your fare,
- you may travel by another train or via another route but only using the trains of the railway companies shown on your travel document,
- you may discontinue a journey you have already started and receive a reimbursement for the part of the journey not made,
- if the journey you began has become pointless, you may return immediately to the starting point of your journey by a train operated by the railway companies shown on your travel document and receive a full reimbursement of your fare.
If you use the rail transport services in accordance with your valid transport contract and you arrive late at your destination station, you may request following compensation for the delay from the railway undertaking that has issued your international travel document:
- 25% of the single ticket price for a delay of 60 to 119 minutes,
- 50% of the single ticket price for a delay of 120 minutes or more.
No payment can be made for an amount lower than 4 €.
If you are not able to continue your journey on the same day, you have the right to receive refund of costs of notification to persons awaiting you and to receive accommodation costs refund up to 20€, or to receive alternative public transport costs refund or taxi costs refund - if there is no alternative public transport available - up to 10€.
In cases of train delays over 60 minutes, you have the right to receive refreshments costs refund up to 1€, in cases of train delays over 120 minutes, you have the right to receive refreshments costs refund up to 2€.
If Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s offers an appropriate solution to your situation, this solution has priority over your individual solution.
Train crew in the delayed train, personnel at cash desks and Information Offices of Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s shall certify you that your train has suffered a delay.
HOW TO SET UP YOUR CLAIM TO COMPENSATION AND ASSISTANCE COSTS REFUND
Please fill in a Request for Compensation of the Ticket Price and for Refund of the Assistance Costs for International Rail Passenger Transportation form in order to set up your claim to compensation and assistance costs refund. The request form is available in Customer Centres and at cash desks of Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s, at the train crew in delayed trains and at our web site www.slovakrail.sk. You can send the filled-in request form together with the original travel document(s), including the reservation documents, train delay certification, confirmations and payment documents via conventional mail to following address: Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a. s., Sekcia odúčtovania tržieb železníc, Železničná 1,041 79 Košice; or you can hand it over at our cash-desks or in Customer Centres no later than two months after your journey. The delivery of this request form does not automatically give you the right to compensation. Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko a.s is liable only for travel documents issued by our company. If you hand over travel documents issued by other railway companies to us, we will pass them to the issuing railway company. However, this may protract the time to handle your complaint.
We pay the compensation and the assistance costs refund in the form of vouchers within one month after delivery of the request form. At your request we will pay your compensation and costs refund by a bank transfer.
You are not entitled to compensation or costs refund for the delayed trains in following cases:
- if you were informed of possible delays before buying your travel documents,
- if when continuing your journey by an alternative service or route, the delay on arrival at your destination is less than 60 minutes,
- if the event was due to fault on the part of the passenger,
- if the event was due to the behaviour of a third party, which the carrier, in spite of having taken the care required in the particular circumstances of the case, could not avoid and the consequences of which he was unable to prevent,
- if the event was due to circumstances not connected with the operation of the railway which the carrier, in spite of having taken the care required in the particular circumstances of the case, could not avoid and the consequences of which he was unable to prevent,
- if the event was due to limitations in transport services as a result of strikes if you were appropriately informed.
PERSONAL SECURITY OF PASSENGERS
Your personal security on railway stations and in trains is protected by the Railway Police in cooperation with Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s.
Railway Police contact:
Railway Police General Directorate
Šancová 1, P. O. Box 203, 810 00 Bratislava 1
Operational Department - 02/5751 6605, 02/5249 2170
ASSISTANCE FOR DISABLED PERSONS AND PERSONS WITH REDUCED MOBILITY
Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s in cooperation with Železnice Slovenskej republiky (infrastructure and stations manager) aims to offer assistance and non-discriminatory access to rail passenger services for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility (PRM) and to provide them with information on the accessibility of rail services and on the conditions on which the assistance is provided.
It is necessary to submit a request for assistance and transportation of disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility (including the transportation in trains with compulsory seat reservation) in writing or by phone at our Call Centre, Reservations Centre, Customer Centres or at cash desks no later than 48 hours before the required transportation time. The Call Centre is available 24/7 from all telecommunication networks at phone number 18 188 (+421 18 188 from abroad) or at e-mail info@slovakrail.sk
Passengers using the above mentioned arranged assistance and transportation services are obliged to arrive at the station no later than 30 minutes before the departure of their train. Passengers have to announce their arrival at the railway station to a designated person at a designated point that will be notified to them by the Call Centre.
Detailed information on transport services for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility are available at e-mail address info@slovakrail.sk or at our Call Centre at phone number 18 188 (+421 18 188 from abroad) that is available 24/7 from all telecommunication networks, at our web site www.slovakrail.sk, at every cash desk of our company, at railway stations, in Customer Centres and Information Offices of Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s.
LIABILITY FOR YOUR LUGGAGE
You are entitled to compensation for loss of or damage to articles, hand luggage or animals caused by the fault of Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s.
LIABILITY IN CASE OF PERSONAL INJURY
You are entitled to compensation for personal injury or death caused by an accident arising out of operation of the railway and happening while you are in, entering or alighting from railway vehicles. You are entitled to an advance payment to meet your immediate economic needs.
COMPLAINTS
You may submit complaints regarding passengers' rights and obligations:
- in the train – by filling-in a “Notification on defects and drawbacks (Oznámenie o chybách a nedostatkoch)” form (or on plain paper) that will be provided to you at request by the train crew,
- at the train station – by making an entry into Complaints and Suggests Book (Kniha prianí a sťažností),
- at Customer Services Section of Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s.:
- via conventional mail to following address: Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a. s., Customer Services Section, Rožňavská 1, 832 72 Bratislava 3
- via e-mail to address of the Customer Services Centre: ZSSKSeSZ@slovakrail.sk, or the Call Centre: info@slovakrail.sk
- personally - by submitting the complaint at the mail room or at the Customer Services Section, Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a. s., Customer Services Section, Rožňavská 1, 832 72 Bratislava 3 that will confirm acceptance of your complaint
If you do not agree with the resolution of your complaint, please send the repetitive complaints pursuant to § 20 of Act No. 152/1998 Coll. on Complaints to:
- Inspection, Supervision and Crisis Management Department, Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a.s:
- via conventional mail to following address: Železničná spoločnosť Slovensko, a. s., Inspection, Supervision and Crisis Management Department, Rožňavská 1, 832 72 Bratislava 3
- via e-mail to following address: ZSSKOIK@slovakrail.sk.
