Deutsche Bahn is going a little bit more digital: instead of filling out a paper form, in future passengers who have had their train delayed will be able to request compensation via the app. 

Deutsche bahn introduces digital compensation for delayed trains

Deutsche Bahn is introducing a long-awaited update to its service. Anyone who wants to have part of their fare reimbursed after a train delay will no longer have to print the relevant form, fill it out, and take it to the post office or a Travel Centre - although they can, if they still wish to.

From June 1, there will be another option: passengers can claim money back via the Deutsche Bahn app. “Reimbursement via smartphone will in future be child’s play and done with just a few clicks in five minutes,” said DB boss Richard Lutz. “Our customers no longer have to search for train numbers or hand in tickets. We are making compensation much easier.” 

Digital services being expanded

If a train is delayed, Deutsche Bahn has always offered financial compensation - a quarter of the original fare if you are delayed by one hour, and half if the delay is two hours or more. 

Up until now, however, the process of seeking that compensation has been notoriously laborious. Customers have been criticising the procedure for years, and a number of start-ups have even seized on the opportunity and begun offering an online service themselves, whereby customers submit their information and allow the companies to take care of the process on their behalf, for a small fee. 

Now Deutsche Bahn is finally following suit. Online reimbursement is only part of a general restructuring of the group’s digital systems. The app, the DB Navigator, is gradually being overhauled and expanded. Travellers can now validate their tickets via the app, and even transfer reservations. 80 percent of all bookings are now processed online, according to DB. 

Image: Emilie Nerlich / Shutterstock.com