Cancelled train? Long delay? Difficulties buying a ticket? Problems with train and station accessibility?

In these and in other cases, passengers have specific rights by law which railway undertaking and station managers are obliged to communicate (*) 

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Travel information

Before departure and during his/her journey, the passenger is entitled to obtain from railway undertakings information on how the transport service is to be provided such as information on times and fares, the services available on board the train and what to do to report and recover lost baggage.

Assistance for disabled and reduced mobility passengers

If the passenger is a person with a disability or reduced mobility, they are entitled to receive free assistance on board the train and in the stations that are part of Rete Ferroviaria Italiana S.p.A.’s (RFI) Sale Blue network. 

To receive assistance, the passenger must inform the railway undertaking or station manager of their needs in accordance with the established time scales (for information go to the dedicated section: Station accessibility).

Buying tickets

Travellers are entitled to buy their ticket at a ticket office, ticket machine, by telephone or the internet.

Responsibility in the event of damage

In the event of injury or death of passengers as a result of accidents in connection with railway operations, the railway undertaking shall provide compensation commensurate with the damage suffered. In addition, before paying out the compensation, the railway undertaking must also pay the expenses necessary to meet the passenger's immediate financial needs.

Information and assistance

Passengers are entitled to be informed of changes to their trip (cancellations, delays, etc.) as soon as this information is available.

In special cases based on the extent of the delay, while waiting to continue their journey, the passenger is also entitled food and drink, hotel or another type of accommodation and transfer.

Trip discontinuation

If the journey is delayed by more than 60 minutes, the passenger is entitled to choose whether to continue until their final destination with an alternative route under similar transport conditions, or to postpone their trip to another date.

Refund

Depending on how long the delay is from the arrival time at the place of destination indicated on the ticket, the passenger is entitled to receive from the railway undertaking a minimum refund ranging from 25% to 50% of the ticket price.

No refund shall be due if the information about the delay was provided before the ticket was purchased; if the passenger continues the journey following an alternative route on another train or another means of transport and the delay is less than 60 minutes from the scheduled arrival time; if the delay occurred for reasons not attributable to the railway undertaking.

Information
Passengers are entitled to be informed about accessibility to rail services and stations. In particular, they are entitled to obtain up-to-date information from the train manager on any station accessibility facilities (e.g. lifts) and the time scale for their repair.

Compensation

If the passenger is a disabled person or a person with reduced mobility who has to use a transport service which has a public service obligation, and the faulty lift is not restored to working order within the time period communicated by the station manager, the passenger shall be entitled to compensation from the railway undertaking according to the methods and parameters indicated at the following link.

The passenger is entitled to receive a response to any claim submitted to the railway undertaking and station manager. If not reply is received within the deadline set by the General Conditions of Transport and the Service Charter, or if the reply is not deemed satisfactory, the passenger may apply to the Italian Transport Authority website.

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For information on delays, train cancellations and the accessibility and usability of stations, visit the website www.rfi.it
To book the assistance service for disabled or reduced mobility passengers, you can also download the Sala Blu + APP (for IOS and Android) in addition to the channels indicated on the website rfi.it

(*) This text is for information purposes only. For anything not expressly mentioned and for any doubts, including those of an interpretative nature, please refer to Regulation (EC) 1371/2007, Legislative Decree 70/2014, to the Resolution of the Transport Regulation Authority no. 106/2018 and the Resolution of the Transport Regulation Authority no. 28/2021.