Regulation (EU) 2021/782 — Rail passengers' rights and obligations

Scope

Recast of the rail passenger rights framework (replacing Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007), applicable since 7 June 2023. Governs travel information and ticketing, compensation and assistance in the event of delay, missed connections and cancellations, rights of persons with disabilities and reduced mobility, and bicycle carriage. Railway undertakings must operate compensation schemes, contingency plans and non-discriminatory access conditions.

Regulation (EU) 2021/782 recasts the EU framework on rail passengers' rights and obligations, replacing Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 and applying since 7 June 2023 to domestic and international passenger rail services across the Union. It sets minimum requirements for the information railway undertakings and ticket vendors must provide on travel conditions, timetables and accessibility, and requires undertakings to operate through-ticketing and compensation schemes covering delays, missed connections and cancellations, including specified compensation thresholds and rebooking or refund options. The Regulation strengthens rights for persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility, including assistance obligations at stations and on board and non-discriminatory access conditions, and requires railway undertakings to allow bicycle carriage on new or substantially refurbished rolling stock, subject to defined exemptions. It also requires undertakings to maintain contingency plans for major service disruption and to report performance against these obligations to national enforcement bodies. Railway undertakings, station managers, ticket vendors and tour operators across the EU must align their commercial and operational practices with this recast framework.