TRU, Alm.del - 2009-10 - Bilag 125: Meddelelse fra EU Kommissionen om nye rettigheder for jernbanepassagerer.

Rail passengers on track for new rights across theEuropean UnionRail passengers will from now on enjoy new rights that will protect them andtheir belongings when they travel by train anywhere within the EuropeanUnion. EU Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 on rail passengers' rights1, whichenters into force today, enshrines travellers' basic rights and imposes anumber of obligations on rail companies concerning their responsibilitytowards their customers. Every year, almost 8 billion passengers use thetrain for their journeys.Antonio Tajani, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of transport,commented: "With millions crisscrossing Europe each day, it is for me evident thatEurope has to take care that people are able to travel in safety and comfort. Thesenew rights protecting people travelling by rail promote reliable and high-quality railpassenger services. After establishing these rights for passengers travelling by airand rail, our next step will now be to protect those going by water or by bus andcoach."The new rights that are in force from today2will:-Guarantee disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility non-discriminatory access to trains and assistance-Strengthen rail passengers' right to compensation when their luggage gets lostor damaged (up to about €1285 per piece of luggage)-Strengthen rail passengers' right in case of death or injury through an advancepayment to meet immediate economic needs. This advance payment amountsto at least €21000 per passenger in the event of death.-Reinforce rail passengers' right to compensation in case their journey getsdelayed or cancelled; the minimum compensation amounts to 25% of the ticketprice for delays between one and up to two hours and to 50% of the ticket pricefor delays of two hours and more.-Give rail passengers the right to be informed comprehensively before andduring their journey, for example about delays-Make it easier for rail passengers to buy tickets-Impose the obligation on rail companies and station managers to ensurepassengers' personal security in railway stations and on trains

-Oblige rail companies to set up a complaint handling mechanism for the rightsand obligations covered by the new regulation-Oblige Member States to ensure that passengers can lodge a complaint to anindependent body, if passengers consider that their rights have not beencorrectly implemented.-Extend the existing rights of passengers under the Convention for theInternational Carriage by Rail (COTIF) which only covers international transport,in principle, to all domestic train services.To give time to railway undertakings to adapt to the new rules on passenger rightsMember States can request not having to implement some of these rights for aperiod of up to 15 years for services limited to the national territory. As local services(i.e. urban, suburban or regional services) are different in character from long-distance services Member States can request permanent derogations for suchservices but not for cross-border services within the EU.Air passengers already enjoy an extensive set of rights as guaranteed by Europeanlegislation. The European Commission has also proposed new legislation protectingthe rights of people travelling by water or by bus or coach. These laws could beadopted as early as next year.