Now and then, reports come about trains that have been standing along the track for hours. Passengers tell about a lack of food and water, extremely hot carriages and overcrowded toilets.
But the train companies actually have an obligation to have a certain level of preparedness, with a kind of "prepper box" on board, says Henric Jonsson, legal advisor at the Consumer Agency's Consumer Europe.
The rules according to the EU regulation that applies to longer journeys, of 60 minutes or more, mean that companies must offer assistance, he says.
There must be refreshments, that is, water and food, in proportion to the delay.
It is often a matter of judgment.
In the EU regulation, there is nothing specific about hygiene items such as wet wipes and diapers.
Offer hotel rooms
If the train cannot continue on the same day, the train company must offer hotel rooms.
There is a limit of three nights if it is something that the train company cannot control, otherwise there is no limit, says Henric Jonsson.
At SJ, the press officer Johannes Cleris says that it looks a bit different on SJ's trains. There are sealed emergency boxes with things like water, energy bars, heat blankets and flashlights.
The night train to Narvik has a completely different level of preparedness than regional trains, he says, but cannot give more concrete examples.
Erik Wennerholm at the train company VY, which operates the Stockholm-Göteborg route, says that VY also has preparedness that is followed up.
Food and water are on board, in addition to the assortment in the café. It is checked before each trip.
Diapers and wet wipes
There are stocks of diapers, wet wipes and tampons on board. Before winter, the trains also have blankets.
He says that the toilets are a closed system with tanks.
We do not release a train with full tanks.
Yet, despite the preparedness, Erik Wennerholm says that it is quite rare for the "emergency equipment" to need to be used.
The rules are found in the European Parliament and Council Regulation (EU) 2021/782 of 29 April 2021 on the rights and obligations of rail passengers.
It states that in the event of a delay of 60 minutes or more, the train company must offer passengers meals and refreshments free of charge in proportion to the delay.
The company must also provide hotel rooms or other accommodation, as well as transport between the railway station and the accommodation, if the journey cannot continue on the same day.
In addition, passengers have the right to compensation for delays, according to the regulation, 25 percent of the ticket price for a delay of 60-119 minutes, 50 percent of the ticket price for a delay of 120 minutes or more.
