German train company opposes compensation in case of bad weather

  Germany's national rail company Deutsche Bahn (DB) opposed the European Court of Justice's (ECJ) decision to compensate customers if trains are late in cases of force majeure, local media reported on Monday. In a letter to EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas, head of DB Ruediger Grube demanded the clarification that "railway companies shall not be held resposible for the delays in the event of force majeure." So far, the DB has paid in the cases, such as floods in the summer or storms in late October of its own accord. After ECJ's ruling in late September, railway companies are now legally obliged to compensate their customers in case of delays or cancellations due to force majeure, for example storms, floods or strikes. "A reorganization of the legal framework would avert further damage to the competitiveness of the rail corporation," Grube wrote in the letter. According to the DB, about a million applications have already been filed for compensation for delays or cancellations to date this year and the company has paid 90 percent of the cases.