MILAN. In extremis, MIT has halved today’s train strike which will end at 3pm instead of 2am. This morning many travelers are experiencing inconvenience both due to the cancellation of trains and delays on the railway line. Delays may also extend beyond the time the strike ends. What can those who already have a ticket in their pocket do? Travelers have the right to a full refund of the ticket but the mechanisms to get the money back are complicated. To avoid mistakes, it is necessary to know the different procedures to follow between long-distance and regional trains but also between tickets purchased at the ticket office or online. It must be said immediately that anyone who has bought a trip on a regional train and intends to cancel the trip has until midnight of the day before the strike to get a refund of the ticket (in the case of today’s strike, 11.59 pm yesterday) .
Reimbursement of long-distance trains
The procedure is easier for those who have a train ticket that has been cancelled. As regards long-distance trains and therefore passengers on the Frecce and Intercity trains, whose trains have been cancelled, Trenitalia explains that «the traveler will have the right to request a full refund of his ticket, within the following 12 months, at the ticket office or online». On the other hand, in the event that the user decides to cancel the journey (the train is potentially running and is not necessarily late) the traveler can renounce and can ask for a refund of the ticket, always in full, but must do so until the time of departure of the train (at the ticket office or online). It should be emphasized that it is important to request a refund before the train has left, otherwise the right to a refund will be lost.
On the regionals
As for the regionals, the procedure is different and more complex. “In the event of an announced strike, like today’s – Trenitalia explains – you can cancel your trip but you have to ask for a refund until midnight of the day before the strike”. The refund can be requested at the ticket office or online and is full. This applies in the event of cancellation of departure regardless of whether the regional train is running or not. If, on the other hand, the passenger shows up at the station and cannot find the train, because it has been cancelled, he can take any train on the chosen route for the four hours following the departure time if he has purchased the ticket online, or within midnight hours after the departure time if you bought the ticket at the ticket office». There is therefore an important difference between the purchase made online and the one made at the ticket office. «If there are no trains in the four hours and there is no alternative, then you can ask for a refund. For regional trains – explain from Trenitalia – the guarantee bands are provided from 6 to 9 and from 18 to 21 “.