Bahn-chaos: commuter receives 61 identical letters for delays!

Bahn-chaos: commuter receives 61 identical letters for delays!

Christian Thill, a 55-year-old commuter from Hamburg, is currently a topic in the media because he complained about the delays of the Deutsche Bahn. Thill commutes to Koblenz weekly and has a BahnCard 100 financed by his company for the 1st grade. Since spring 2024 he has been running a diary in which he documents the delays. To date, he has recorded more than 60 late arrivals. He informed his displeasure of the repeated delays to the Deutsche Bahn.

in April 2024 Thill sent his records by email to the train, whereupon he received 61 identical letters. These letters contain forms in which he should state his account details for compensation. Thill criticizes that the train not only steals his lifetime when traveling, but also at the desk. "My company only receives 15 euros for delays over an hour," says Thill. In view of the costs of around 8,000 euros for the BahnCard 100, this is insufficient compensation for the inconvenience.

New method of Deutsche Bahn

In the meantime, Deutsche Bahn has adapted its procedure to process compensation applications. Thill was asked to list the entire delays in a table with appropriate process numbers. A spokeswoman for the railway explained that each application was processed individually and that the claims are checked in accordance with the legal regulations. The railway now recommends using the digital application in the customer account. There is a clear trend: 70 percent of the applications are now submitted digitally.

How to apply for compensation

The procedure for applying for compensation can be done in different ways. Users can have bought or deposited their ticket in the customer account, also for the BahnCard 100 or other route tickets. The application for compensation can be submitted digitally in the customer account or using a passenger right form. The following paths are available:

• for single tickets: log in to the customer account, go on "my trips", select the corresponding ticket and click on "Apply for compensation".
• for BahnCard 100: in the customer account go to "BahnCard" and click on "Options" at the BahnCard to apply for compensation.
• for time tickets: go to "Time tickets & subscriptions" and select the corresponding time ticket.
• using the passenger rights form: This can be obtained from the service staff on the train or in the DB travel center and is also available as a PDF.

The form must be filled out and with all the necessary proof, such as the ticket or a cost proof, submitted to DB Dialog GmbH or in a DB travel center.

Thill's experiences illustrate the challenges that commuters often experience with Deutsche Bahn. It remains to be seen whether the new procedures and recommendations for applying for compensation will improve the situation for customers such as Thill. Further information on the possibilities for applying for compensation can be found on Bahn.de , while the initial history of Thills experiences on Bild.de