Train failure in Cottbus: How to get your ticket money back!

Train failure in Cottbus: How to get your ticket money back!

Cottbus, Deutschland - Train traffic in the Cottbus area caused excitement on June 26, 2025 when a RE2 train could not continue due to severe damage to the overhead line, caused by a storm. Of course, this not only affected the travelers on site, but also many commuters who wanted to get to Berlin quickly or back to Cottbus. Many of them were forced to order taxis to continue their trip. But here the question arises: What can passengers expect in such situations in relation to compensation?

A soothing message comes from Deutsche Bahn (DB): If there are delays of more than 60 minutes, passengers can expect compensation. As the LR Online , partly received up to 50 % of the ticket costs. In the event of delays in local transport that travel with the Germany ticket, there is a flat rate of 1.50 euros per case, but only if the payment is at least 4 euros.

regulations on extraordinary circumstances

An important detail that travelers should keep in the head is the EU regulation 2021/782 . This excludes compensation in cases of so -called extraordinary circumstances, and this includes large natural disasters. However, an ordinary storm does not fall below this category, which means that passengers are usually entitled to compensation.

Before you get into a taxi, you should also note the specific conditions: DB will only reimburse taxi costs if the last scheduled connection to the target station does not reach the train station without any other means of transport or if the scheduled arrival is between 0 and 5 a.m., but is more than 60 minutes late. The costs are reimbursed up to an upper limit of 120 euros, but this option is no longer necessary if a bus emergency traffic is set up, which was carried out in the case of the RE2.

driving rights in detail

Another focus on the rights of passengers, the Federal Minister of Transport . This includes information about connections and a quick and uncomplicated option to complain that can be submitted within three months of the trip. In the event of delays or failures of trains, passengers have the right to information and can expect support for compensation if necessary.