It was a real ordeal that the travelers of the TGV 8817 experienced on Tuesday evening, reports France Blue. Leaving at 5:23 p.m. from Paris-Montparnasse station, they were supposed to arrive two hours later at Nantes station. But due to an exceptional chain of incidents, they finally arrived… at 12:19 a.m., five hours late and a trip that ultimately lasted seven long hours.
The 477 passengers on board had been warned from the start in Montparnasse that their TGV would be delayed due to another broken down train disrupting traffic on the same route. Another problem: a series of thunderstorms in the north-west of France caused trees to fall on the tracks, forcing SNCF agents to intervene, and thus close several railway lines leading to Nantes. Faced with this situation, the SNCF was forced to reroute the TGV Paris-Nantes to pass through Rennes, and therefore to extend the journey time.
But the troubles of our unfortunate travelers do not stop there! Another TGV found itself immobilized near the town of Couëron, west of Nantes, following a collision. The driver saw a silhouette and felt a shock near a level crossing, but no body was finally found by the gendarmes and the firefighters after more than an hour of research on an area of three kilometers, relate West France.
Passengers may be reimbursed
If they will certainly keep a bitter memory of this trip, the passengers of the train will be able to ask for reimbursement. The European regulations on the rights and obligations of rail passengers of 2007 obliges carriers to compensate passengers who have suffered at least one hour of delay, throughout the Union.
With Guarantee 30 (G30), the SNCF applies a more advantageous policy in France since it compensates some of its users from 30 minutes late. Compensation applies in all cases, whether the disruption is attributable to the carrier (material failure, strike) or to external causes (bad weather, personal injury).
The amount of compensation depends on the length of the delay on arrival and the train taken. For TGVs, compensation amounts to 25% of the ticket price between 30 minutes and two hours late on arrival, 50% between two and three hours and 75% beyond three hours. An exception exists for 100% Eco Intercités which only benefit from the G30 from one hour late.
In both cases, the request for compensation must be made within 60 days after the journey, via a dedicated form. Within an hour, the traveler receives a voucher valid for 12 months. Reimbursement is only possible for a delay of more than one hour.
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