Train delayed by storm, snow or a disruption: do you get your money back?

In this article you'll read when an NS delay counts as force majeure, when you do get compensation, and what you can do if you're unsure whether a claim is worth the effort.

Force majeure at NS: what's included

NS's Money Back for Delays scheme (GTBV) excludes force majeure. By force majeure, NS means situations the company has no influence over itself. Think of extreme weather conditions, calamities or an announced strike.

It comes down to this: if the delay was caused by something NS itself is responsible for (a broken-down train, a signalling disruption, too little staff), you're entitled to compensation. Is the cause external and was there nothing NS could do about it? Then a force majeure defence can be invoked and NS may reject the claim.

In practice that distinction isn't always so black and white. During major storms or snowfall, NS sometimes announces itself that the scheme simply stays in force, even though strictly speaking there could be a case of force majeure. So when in doubt, it's always worth simply submitting a claim.

When do you get your money back for a delay?

In the vast majority of cases where the cause lies with NS itself, you get compensation. A few examples:

• A broken-down train or rolling stock failure
• A signalling or overhead line disruption
• A staff shortage or sickness
• A wildcat or unannounced strike
• An IT disruption at NS

Regardless of the cause, the same percentages apply: for a delay of 30 to 59 minutes at your final destination you get 50% of your single journey back. For 60 minutes or more it's 100%. For season-ticket holders, a proportional part of the monthly amount is paid out. On the HSL (high-speed line/Intercity Direct) routes, this is already 50% compensation from 15 minutes and 100% from 30 minutes.

Condition: you had a valid travel ticket and were correctly checked in and out. What held up the train doesn't matter for the payout, as long as the cause falls within NS's sphere of influence.

When NS rejects the claim

Besides force majeure, there are a few more situations in which NS doesn't pay out:

1. Pre-announced engineering works. Did NS adjust the timetable in good time and did you make that adjusted travel time? Then there's formally no delay. Only if you're 30+ minutes late on top of that can you claim. You can read more about this in our article on compensation during engineering works.
2. A delay caused by another carrier. Did you travel partly with Arriva, Blauwnet or Connexxion and was the cause with them? Then you have to submit the claim to that carrier.
3. No valid travel ticket. No ticket, not checked in: no claim.
4. A claim older than 3 months. After that it's too late.
5. Compensation lower than €2.30. Below that amount NS pays out nothing.

Extra costs from a delay: taxi, hotel and missed appointments

The Money Back for Delays scheme reimburses your ticket, not your consequential damage. Did the delay cause you to miss a flight, take a taxi home or book a hotel? Those costs fall under a separate category.

Under Dutch transport law, NS is in principle not liable for damage arising from a delay. There's one important exception to that: night-time stranding. If NS's fault means you can no longer get home at night, different rules apply and NS does have to offer you a solution. How exactly this works, you'll read in our article on rights during a night-time stranding.

Claiming compensation after a delay caused by weather or a disruption

Are you unsure whether your situation counts as force majeure? Submitting a claim costs nothing and can always be done. It's actually simple. Four steps:

1. Check whether you had a delay of 30 minutes or more at your final destination
2. Make sure you were correctly checked in and out, or that you keep a valid ticket
3. Submit your claim within 3 months via ns.nl/klantenservice
4. Briefly state the cause

Is your claim rejected on the grounds of force majeure and you disagree? Ask for justification and lodge an objection.

In summary: a delay caused by weather or a disruption, and your rights

In genuine cases of force majeure (extreme weather conditions, calamities, announced strikes) NS can exclude compensation. For a delay NS is responsible for itself, the Money Back for Delays scheme simply applies. And in borderline cases, submitting a claim is always worth the effort, because in practice NS is often more lenient than the terms suggest.

When in doubt: submit. It costs nothing, and in many cases you simply get your money back.

Automatic money back for every train delay

Instead of logging in every month, submitting claims and keeping track of payouts, you can also have it arranged automatically. With us, you link your OV-chipkaart once, and we submit every valid delay claim to NS for you.