Train cancelled by a strike? Your refund and compensation rights in the EU

A rail strike feels like bad luck that nobody has to pay for. Under EU law it is not. When the rail company's own staff strike, it cannot claim extraordinary circumstances. If your train is cancelled or will be 60 minutes or more late, you can choose a full refund, paid within 30 days, or another train. If you still travel and arrive late, you can claim 25% of the fare from 60 minutes late and 50% from 120 minutes, paid within one month.

Why a strike does not let them off

The EU rules on rail passenger rights (Regulation 2021/782) have applied since 7 June 2023. They let a rail company refuse compensation only for extraordinary circumstances it could not have avoided: extreme weather, a major natural disaster, a major public health crisis, someone on the track.

The regulation says plainly that strikes by the rail company's own staff do not count. Nor do failures by the company that runs the track or the stations. So if the company that sold you the ticket is on strike, your full rights apply.

What you can get

What happened	What you can ask for	Where it comes from
Train cancelled, or expected to arrive 60 minutes or more late	Your choice: a full refund, another train at the earliest opportunity, or travel on a later date that suits you	Article 18(1)
No other option offered within 100 minutes of the planned departure	Book another train, coach or bus yourself and claim the necessary, appropriate and reasonable cost	Article 18(3)
You travelled and arrived 60 to 119 minutes late	25% of the ticket price	Article 19(1)
You travelled and arrived 120 minutes or more late	50% of the ticket price	Article 19(1)
Waiting 60 minutes or more, or the train is cancelled	Meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the wait, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight	Article 20(2)

For a return ticket, compensation is worked out on half the price. Rail companies may set a minimum payout, but never above €4 per ticket.

When you can lose compensation

Two situations matter on strike days.

• You knew before you bought. If you were told about the delay before buying the ticket, there is no compensation. You keep the right to a refund or another train.
• You took the refund. Compensation is for arriving late. If you choose the full refund instead of travelling, the refund is what you get.

Strikes are usually announced days in advance. So the date on your ticket matters: bought before the strike was announced, you keep everything.

What to do on the day

1. Check what is running. Many strikes come with guaranteed trains or time bands. A guaranteed train still counts as your rerouting if you take it.
2. Ask for your options at once. The company must offer you the choice straight away. Ask at the desk or in the app, and screenshot the cancellation notice.
3. Watch the 100-minute mark. If no alternative has been offered 100 minutes after your planned departure, you can book a coach or another operator's train yourself. Keep the receipt and choose something comparable, not a taxi across the country.
4. Keep everything. Tickets, booking emails, the cancellation message, receipts for food and hotels, and the real arrival time at your destination.

How to claim, step by step

1. Decide what you are claiming. A refund if you did not travel. Compensation if you travelled and arrived late. Costs if you rerouted yourself or paid for food or a hotel.
2. Use the company's claim form. Most operators have one online or in their app. There is also a common EU form for refund and compensation requests.
3. Name the rule. Quote Regulation 2021/782 and the article, the train, the date, the ticket price and the minutes late.
4. Ask for money. Vouchers are only allowed if you agree. Say you want payment to your card or bank account.
5. Give a date. Refunds are due within 30 days of your request. Compensation is due within one month.

The message to send

Subject: Compensation request: Frecciarossa 9531, Milano Centrale to Roma Termini, 20 November 2026

I had a ticket for train 9531 from Milano Centrale to Roma Termini on 20 November 2026, booked on 12 October for €89.90 (booking code KX7Q4P). The train was cancelled because of strike action by your staff. I took the next available train and reached Roma Termini at 14:20, 150 minutes after my booked arrival.

Under Article 19(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2021/782, I am owed 50% of the ticket price, €44.95. A strike by your own staff is not an exemption under Article 19(10). I bought the ticket before the strike was announced.

Please pay €44.95 to the card I paid with within one month, as Article 19(7) requires. I do not accept vouchers.

Change the train, the times and the maths for your journey. For a refund, ask for the full ticket price within 30 days under Article 18.

Time limits and where to go next

• Complain within three months of the journey. The company must give you a reasoned reply within one month, or tell you when it will reply, and that cannot be more than three months.
• If they refuse or go quiet, take it to the national enforcement body in the country where the journey took place. The European Commission keeps the list. In Italy, for example, you can complain to the transport regulator ART through its SiTe system once 30 days have passed since your complaint to the rail company.
• If the company is in another EU country, the European Consumer Centre in your country can help for free.

The short version

A strike by the rail company's own staff is not extraordinary circumstances. Cancelled or 60 minutes late: choose a refund within 30 days or another train. Travelled and arrived late: 25% or 50% back within one month. Ask in writing, ask for money, and go to the national enforcement body if they say no.

Questions

The strike was announced days before. Do I still get compensation?

Only if you bought your ticket before you were told about the delay. If you bought it after, you still have the right to a refund or another train, but not to the 25% or 50% compensation.

They offered me a voucher. Do I have to take it?

No. A refund can only be paid in vouchers if you agree, and compensation must be paid in money if you ask for it.

Can I get a refund and compensation for the same journey?

No. Compensation is for travelling and arriving late, so if you take the full refund instead of travelling, the refund is what you get.

Does this cover regional and commuter trains?

Usually, but EU countries may exempt urban, suburban and regional services from parts of the rules. If yours does, the rail company's own conditions and national rules apply, so check them before you claim.

General information, not legal advice. Rules change and depend on where you live: check the official source before you rely on a date or an amount.

Sources

• Regulation (EU) 2021/782 on rail passengers' rights and obligations (EUR-Lex, checked October 2026)
• European Commission: rail passenger rights and national enforcement bodies (checked October 2026)
• European Consumer Centre Germany: rail passenger rights (checked October 2026)
• Autorità di Regolazione dei Trasporti: SiTe complaints system (Italy, checked October 2026)