VR to compensate passengers after consumer watchdog complains

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Finland’s consumer protection agency said state railway company VR violated passengers’ rights by cancelling long-distance train services in February and charging extra fees for rescheduling journeys.

The screen on the train platform showed that two trains were cancelled and a white-green train at the back was parked in the snow. — Last February, state-owned railway company VR cancelled many services (file photo). Photo: Jouni Koutonen / Yle

The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority has ruled that state rail operator VR violated passengers’ rights by cancelling trains due to strikes and track faults earlier this year.

VR cancelled all long-distance train services on February 12 and 13 due to political strikes and track failures.

The agency said VR charged passengers extra fees to rebook their trips, even though such rearrangements should have been free of charge, adding that the company did not provide enough information about passengers’ rights to change their tickets without paying extra fees.

Customers who contact customer service cannot change their trips for free, but can only get their ticket refunded. Travelers must buy new tickets and pay the difference between the original and new tickets. Due to VR’s pricing policy, in many cases, the new tickets are more expensive.

The reason for cancellation does not matter

Under EU and Finnish law, if a long-distance train is cancelled or delayed for at least 60 minutes, passengers have the right to choose between an alternative route or a refund of their fare. The reason for the cancellation does not matter. Passengers must be offered a new itinerary at no extra cost.

The consumer ombudsman said: “Passengers must be informed of their options once they are informed of a delay of more than an hour. Passengers must be able to choose to change their cancelled journey and railway companies cannot automatically refund their tickets even if the new journey is more expensive.” Katri Vananen Said in a press release.

The consumer watchdog claimed that VR violated EU rail liability regulations and consumer protection laws.

The consumer watchdog said VR has promised to correct its operating practices and announced it would compensate passengers for their financial losses. However, no such announcement had been seen on VR’s website or social media accounts as of Wednesday afternoon.

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