How do I get a train cancellation report from Deutsche Bahn?

[BlueTrain]

Hello. Had a fun day yesterday. I was returning to the UK from Cologne. Plan was to catch a train from Cologne to Brussels, then get the Eurostar to St Pancras, and then catch a train from Kings Cross to York, and finally a bus home in time for tea. Only touble was the train from Cologne to Brussels was cancelled. Eventually a replacement bus service took everybody to Aachen, crammed like sardines, with no real luggage storage space available. Then a train to Brussels. Of course, by the time I got there I had missed my connection for the Eurostar, but they put me on a much later train. This in turn meant I missed the connection at Kings Cross, so I had to buy another ticket, and only got as far as York where I had to splash out on a hotel room.

What I am trying to do is claim for the additional train ticket and the hotel room on my travel insurance. But they want a report from the carrier explaining why the trip was cancelled (I think this is slanted more towards air travel). I've had a look around DB's website, but I see no way of getting this information. You might be able to get an explanation for why trains that are not yet due have been cancelled, but not for journeys in the past. Anybody know how to get this information?

I did try their phone number, but gave up in the end. Nobody answering.

I also found the email address fahrkartenservice@bahn.com. But it doesn't work.

Any ideas?

 

[stuu]

Hello. Had a fun day yesterday. I was returning to the UK from Cologne. Plan was to catch a train from Cologne to Brussels, then get the Eurostar to St Pancras, and then catch a train from Kings Cross to York, and finally a bus home in time for tea. Only touble was the train from Cologne to Brussels was cancelled. Eventually a replacement bus service took everybody to Aachen, crammed like sardines, with no real luggage storage space available. Then a train to Brussels. Of course, by the time I got there I had missed my connection for the Eurostar, but they put me on a much later train. This in turn meant I missed the connection at Kings Cross, so I had to buy another ticket, and only got as far as York where I had to splash out on a hotel room.

What I am trying to do is claim for the additional train ticket and the hotel room on my travel insurance. But they want a report from the carrier explaining why the trip was cancelled (I think this is slanted more towards air travel). I've had a look around DB's website, but I see no way of getting this information. You might be able to get an explanation for why trains that are not yet due have been cancelled, but not for journeys in the past. Anybody know how to get this information?

I did try their phone number, but gave up in the end. Nobody answering.

I also found the email address fahrkartenservice@bahn.com. But it doesn't work.

Any ideas?

Sorry I can't help with that, but I needed to phone DB in the summer and it took them 45 minutes to answer, so I would suggest perservering with that route

 

[Ben Rhydding]

I had a similar experience some years ago. Train from Koln both late and terminated at Aachen. Offered a replacement bus to Bruxelles which I didn`t fancy and wouldn`t in any case have caught the booked Eurostar. Took the next DB train from Aachen to Bruxelles (they wouldn`t let me use my ticket on the Thalys which might have made the Eurostar connection). Eurostar accepted my ticket for the next train to London. LNER endorsed my advance ticket to Leeds. I just went to Kings Cross ticket office and said "Eurostar delay". I eventually got some compensation from DB, possibly half the Koln - Bruxelles ticket. I had to apply by post.

 

[30907]

https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/passenger-rights#print
Might be worth claiming from DB?

BTW I am surprised LNER didn't accept your existing ticket (even though it presumably wasn't issued from London CIV.

https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/aktuell
This should give you the relevant info regarding the freight derailment (not sure if it's also in English).

 

[crablab]

@Watershed probably has some helpful advice he can give

 

[BlueTrain]

Sorry I can't help with that, but I needed to phone DB in the summer and it took them 45 minutes to answer, so I would suggest perservering with that route

Thanks anyway. I dug around and found a news story stating that there was disruption between Kolm and Aachen after a freight train crash, and also a little bit on DB's website referring to disruption, but not specifically mentioning my train. I sent those to the insurance people and maybe that will be enough.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Nov 2024 ==

I had a similar experience some years ago. Train from Koln both late and terminated at Aachen. Offered a replacement bus to Bruxelles which I didn`t fancy and wouldn`t in any case have caught the booked Eurostar. Took the next DB train from Aachen to Bruxelles (they wouldn`t let me use my ticket on the Thalys which might have made the Eurostar connection). Eurostar accepted my ticket for the next train to London. LNER endorsed my advance ticket to Leeds. I just went to Kings Cross ticket office and said "Eurostar delay". I eventually got some compensation from DB, possibly half the Koln - Bruxelles ticket. I had to apply by post.

Thanks. Yes, I saw the option to apply for compensation by post. If the insurance people won't cough up then I may try that option.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 24 Nov 2024 ==

https://int.bahn.de/en/booking-information/passenger-rights#print
Might be worth claiming from DB?

BTW I am surprised LNER didn't accept your existing ticket (even though it presumably wasn't issued from London CIV.

https://www.bahn.de/service/fahrplaene/aktuell
This should give you the relevant info regarding the freight derailment (not sure if it's also in English).

Thanks. I think I found something more-or-less relevant on the DB website, although it didn't mention my train, just disruption between Koln and Aachen. Sent that to the insurance people.

I was trying to think ahead, so bought the Kings X to York ticket whilst in Brussels. Otherwise I would have tried to get LNER to accept my existing ticket, but due to the Eurostar being late (45 minutes, but no compensation for less than an hour delay) there was a good chance I was going to miss my connection at Kings Cross as well. The original ticket was an advance, so that train only. I opted for an off-peak (any train) for the replacement ticket which was a good move, although by a stroke of luck the train I was booked on was delayed, so although I arrived late at St Pancras the train to York was still sitting there when I crossed over to Kings X and I caught it with minutes to spare. Having applied, I will most likely get 50% off the ticket cost through delay-repay.

 

[rvdborgt]

I was trying to think ahead, so bought the Kings X to York ticket whilst in Brussels.

I wouldn't normally buy a new ticket myself. Or wouldn't you otherwise be able to get onto the platform at Kings Cross?
Edit: You can find historic date on bahn.expert ('Zugsuche' from the menu) but it's not an official DB website.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I was trying to think ahead, so bought the Kings X to York ticket whilst in Brussels. Otherwise I would have tried to get LNER to accept my existing ticket, but due to the Eurostar being late (45 minutes, but no compensation for less than an hour delay) there was a good chance I was going to miss my connection at Kings Cross as well. The original ticket was an advance, so that train only. I opted for an off-peak (any train) for the replacement ticket which was a good move, although by a stroke of luck the train I was booked on was delayed, so although I arrived late at St Pancras the train to York was still sitting there when I crossed over to Kings X and I caught it with minutes to spare. Having applied, I will most likely get 50% off the ticket cost through delay-repay.

Assuming you actually travelled on the original Advance (as you caught your intended train) the thing to do would be to refund the Off Peak less the admin fee which is no more than £5 but may be £0 depending who you bought it from. Ideally you'd get the £5 back but that'll take more than £5 of hassle to do.

If you scanned the Off Peak, this will be very difficult, though they may agree it if you show evidence of the unscanned Advance and say you bought the Off Peak as a backup and scanned it by accident - you'll need to go through customer services in that case.

 

[DeverseSam]

The original ticket was an advance, so that train only.

(but which can be amended before departure for £5 eg on trainsplit)

 

[iknowyeah]

I'm currently on a train from Amersfoort to Hannover trying to get to Leipzig due to this. Bought myself a new ticket from Rotterdam to Leipzig, will I be able to get a refund on the original Brussels to Leipzig?

 

[rvdborgt]

I'm currently on a train from Amersfoort to Hannover trying to get to Leipzig due to this. Bought myself a new ticket from Rotterdam to Leipzig, will I be able to get a refund on the original Brussels to Leipzig?

Probably, since the expected delay was at least an hour. But why did you buy a new ticket in the first place? Wat was the original ticket for? Normally, you should travel on the original ticket and if you have to buy something extra for any reason, ask a refund of the new ticket(s).

 

[iknowyeah]

The original ticket was from Brussels to Leipzig and I ended up staying on the Eurostar and travelling from Rotterdam, so just wanted to cover it. I tried to cancel the original but DB charge €19

Probably, since the expected delay was at least an hour. But why did you buy a new ticket in the first place? Wat was the original ticket for? Normally, you should travel on the original ticket and if you have to buy something extra for any reason, ask a refund of the new ticket(s).

 

[DanielB]

The original ticket was from Brussels to Leipzig and I ended up staying on the Eurostar and travelling from Rotterdam, so just wanted to cover it.

As the passenger rights state you are already entitled to use other trains to get to your destination when the expected delay is more than 20 minutes. And in this case you were using a lower class of train (IC instead of ICE), so no other ticket should be needed.
The only stretch I'd be in doubt regarding validity is the Eurostar from Brussels to Rotterdam.

 

[rvdborgt]

The original ticket was from Brussels to Leipzig and I ended up staying on the Eurostar and travelling from Rotterdam, so just wanted to cover it. I tried to cancel the original but DB charge €19

That's a commercial refund, when you try to cancel on your own initiative. That's not the case here.
You'd get a full refund if you use the passengers rights form. If you booked online, you can do that from your account.
I'd use that form and claim back the expenses for the extra ticket, in addition to compensation for delay. The form can be used for both.