Regulation (EU) 2021/782 on rail passengers’ rights and obligations (recast) (recast)

What it is

to update EU rules on rail passenger rights in order to better protect users in the event of delays, cancellations or discrimination. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: by virtue of Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 , which entered into force in December 2009, rail passengers have rights to information, reservations and tickets, assistance, care and compensation in the event of a delay or cancellation, free of charge assistance (for persons with disabilities), compensation in the event of an accident or quick access to a complaint handling system. The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Bogusław LIBERADZKI (S&D, PL) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on rail passengers’ rights and obligations (recast). The committee recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission's proposal as follows. Purpose and objectives : Members considered that the Regulation should establishes rules applicable to rail transport to provide for effective protection of passengers and encourage rail travel as regards the following: non-discrimination between passengers with regard to transport and ticketing conditions; passengers' rights and compensation in the event of disruption such as cancellation or delay; minimum, accurate and timely information to be provided in accessible format to passengers, including the conclusion of transport contracts and the issuing of tickets. Passenger rights and information : users’ rights to rail services include the receipt of information regarding those services and related matters both before and during and after the journey. Railway undertakings and ticket vendors shall provide this information, as soon as possible, in advance, or at least at the start of the journey. That information shall be provided in accessible formats for persons with disabilities or persons with reduced mobility and shall be available publicly. Railway undertakings shall provide this information to ticket vendors and other railway undertakings selling their services. Information to travellers shall also be provided on possible connections with other modes of transport . Railway undertakings in cooperation with station managers and infrastructure managers shall indicate in timetables information about accessible train connections and stations. Tickets : railway undertakings, ticket vendors and tour operators shall offer tickets, through-tickets and reservations, including for journeys across borders or involving night trains and journeys with more than one railway undertaking. Members called for the booking of those tickets to be accessible and non-discriminatory , including for persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility. Railway undertakings, ticket vendors and tour operators shall develop suitable application programming interfaces and data formats to allow the exchange…

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