IN AUSTRIA there were interruptions mainly on the western route and the southern route. Trains between Salzburg and Tyrol are sometimes rerouted via Zell am See; delays of up to 2 hours should be taken into account. There were also route blockages due to fallen trees. Closures affected some regional routes in Tyrol, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Styria, Vienna, Lower Austria and Carinthia. Freight transport was also partially affected.
At the same time, snow removal and route inspections are taking place to determine the damage. But where snowfall has damaged overhead lines, route closures can last longer. Some of the snowfall is still continuing. Due to the weather-related restrictions on the roads, the use of rail replacement services is sometimes not possible. The ÖBB therefore asks passengers to postpone non-urgent trips to a later date.
IN SWITZERLAND, the Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research has increased the risk of avalanches in parts of Switzerland. There is a high risk of avalanches in Graubünden and the southern part of the canton of Valais. Around 40 flights were also canceled. Passengers must expect delays and cancellations at Zurich Airport. The Rhaetian Railway (RhB) currently does not run any trains between Chur and Arosa or on the Albula line or in the Engadine. The RhB reports that replacement transport is only possible to a very limited extent.
Compensation for delays and train cancellations
A new version of the European passenger rights for rail travelers has been valid since June 7, 2023 (EU Regulation 2021/782). Our rail & mobility magazine reported on this in detail in issue 2-3/2023. The current rules stipulate that in the event of “force majeure”, train ticket sellers do not have to pay travelers any money for delays. However, neither strikes nor “normal” weather events are classified as force majeure. Therefore, if the train is canceled due to snowfall in the EU, the ticket price will be fully refunded. The contact person is always the company that sold the ticket, even if other companies are involved in the realization of the trip during the course of the trip.
If the trip is cancelled, the fare will also be fully refunded. If the train used is delayed at the destination station by more than 60 minutes, 25 percent of the ticket price will be refunded, and if the train is delayed by more than 120 minutes – 50 percent. If you only use part of the booked route, the unused portion will be refunded.
Germany: Another warning strike before Christmas
After the snow has been cleared away, there will be another nervous test for rail travelers in Germany. In an interview with the Münchener Abendzeitung (AZ), the Bavarian head of the German Locomotive Drivers’ Union (GDL), Uwe Böhm, announced that the next warning strike would certainly come before Christmas. For its members employed by Deutsche Bahn (DB), the GDL is demanding, among other things, a reduction in working hours for shift workers from 38 to 35 hours a week with full pay. The union is also demanding 555 euros more per month as well as a bonus to compensate for inflation for a term of one year. In the first round of negotiations, DB only proposed an eleven percent wage increase over a period of 32 months.
Regarding the further strike measures after the strike vote, the Bavarian GDL boss explained: “We expect a large turnout, people are simply showing great frustration, and we expect approval of around 90 percent. Then we go into the so-called Christmas truce, which means we don’t go on strike at Christmas or on the holidays. […] From January next year everything will be possible again.”
Hermann Schmidtendorf, editor-in-chief
