European UnionRail passengers' rights and obligations: accessible travel information, reservations and tickets, and notifications of the need for assistance
Regulation (EU) 2021/782, Arts. 9(3), 21(2), 22 and 24
In force since .
An accessibility requirements rule binding private bodies.
- Enforcement body
- The body or bodies each Member State designates under Article 31(1) of the Regulation
- Instrument type
- a regulation made under an act
- Obligation class
- Prohibition, Disclosure
As of .
What it requires
- If you are a railway undertaking, a ticket vendor or a tour operator offering rail transport contracts, provide the travel information of Article 9(1) and (2) in the most appropriate format, including by using appropriate communication technologies, paying particular attention to making it accessible in accordance with Directive (EU) 2019/882 and Regulations (EU) No 454/2011 and (EU) No 1300/2014 (Article 9(3)).
- Offer reservations and tickets to persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility at no additional cost, and do not refuse to accept a reservation from or issue a ticket to such a person, or require the person to be accompanied, unless that is strictly necessary to comply with the access rules of Article 21(1); where you do, inform the person in writing of your reasons, upon request, within five working days (Articles 21(2) and 22(2)).
- Upon request, give persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility information, including in accessible formats, on the accessibility of the station and associated facilities and of rail services, on the access conditions of rolling stock, and about facilities on board (Article 22(1)).
- Take all measures necessary for the reception of notifications of the need for assistance, accept them without additional costs whatever means of communication is used, and, as a ticket vendor unable to process them, indicate alternative points of purchase or alternative means to make the notification (Article 24, points (a) and (b)).
These lines are LexLint's reading of the law's text, as of .
What this law does
Regulation (EU) 2021/782 applies to international and domestic rail journeys and services throughout the Union provided by one or more railway undertakings licensed in accordance with Directive 2012/34/EU (Article 2(1)).
Member States may exempt services operated strictly for historical or touristic use (Article 2(2)), urban, suburban and regional rail passenger services, and international rail passenger services of which a significant part is operated outside the Union (Article 2(6)), but an exemption of urban, suburban and regional services does not apply in relation to Articles 21 and 22, among others (Article 2(8)).
Article 9(3) requires the travel information that railway undertakings, tour operators and ticket vendors provide under Article 9(1) and (2) to be provided in the most appropriate format, including by using appropriate communication technologies, and says particular attention shall be paid to ensuring that this information is accessible in accordance with Directive (EU) 2019/882 and Regulations (EU) No 454/2011 and (EU) No 1300/2014.
Article 21(2) requires reservations and tickets to be offered to persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility at no additional cost, and bars a railway undertaking, ticket vendor or tour operator from refusing to accept a reservation from, or to issue a ticket to, such a person, or requiring that the person be accompanied, unless this is strictly necessary in order to comply with the access rules referred to in Article 21(1).
Article 22(1) requires a station manager, a railway undertaking, a ticket vendor or a tour operator, upon request, to provide persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility with information, including in accessible formats, on the accessibility of the station and associated facilities and of rail services and on the access conditions of rolling stock, and Article 22(2) requires a written statement of reasons, upon request, within five working days where the Article 21(2) derogation is used.
Article 24 requires railway undertakings, station managers, ticket vendors and tour operators to offer a single notification mechanism for assistance, to accept notifications without additional costs, irrespective of the means of communication being used, and to take all measures necessary for the reception of notifications, a ticket vendor unable to process them indicating alternative points of purchase or alternative means to make the notification.
Each Member State designates a body or bodies responsible for the enforcement of the Regulation (Article 31(1)), and Article 35(1) has the Member States lay down the rules on penalties applicable to infringements of the Regulation, which shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive; the Regulation sets no amount. The Regulation applies from and repeals Regulation (EC) No 1371/2007 with effect from that day (Articles 40 and 41).
When LexLint raises it
When your app profile says your app ships a consumer interface.