Mälartåg Delay – We help you get compensation

Always listen to the announcements from staff on board or at the station—you can also contact Mälartåg customer service if needed. Below you’ll find the obligations Mälartåg has in the event of a delay.

If the journey is over 150 km

If your Mälartåg service is delayed by 60 minutes or more and your destination is more than 150 km away, you are entitled to compensation under EU law. You have the right to choose between:

• Continuing the journey with the same ticket.
• Being rebooked on the next available departure, including replacement buses.
• Rebooking to another day at no extra cost. In that case you waive your right to receive any money back for the original ticket.
• Interrupting the journey and receiving a full refund for the part you did not complete, plus a free return trip to your original departure station if needed.

It doesn’t matter whether you travel within Sweden or internationally—the same rules apply as long as you travel with Mälartåg. If the delay was announced before you bought your ticket you are, however, not entitled to compensation. Cancellation protection and amounts below four euros are not refunded.

If the journey is under 150 km

If the total distance of the trip is shorter than 150 km and Mälartåg cannot guarantee an arrival with less than a 20-minute delay, you have the right to choose between:

• Continuing the journey and receiving compensation in the form of a price reduction.
• Being rebooked on an alternative route.
• Interrupting the journey and receiving the full ticket price back.
• Taking an alternative mode of transport (e.g. taxi) with a cap of SEK 1,470.

If the journey is over 150 km

If you continue to your final destination and do not rebook the ticket for another day, you are entitled to money back for your train ticket:

• 60–119 minutes delay: 25% of the ticket price in compensation
• 120 minutes or more: 50% of the ticket price in compensation

If the journey is under 150 km

If you continue your journey to the final destination, you are entitled to the following price reductions:

• 20–39 minutes delay: 50% of the ticket price.
• 40–59 minutes delay: 75% of the ticket price.
• 60 minutes or more: 100% of the ticket price.

When a train is delayed in Sweden, passengers are often entitled to reimbursement for the cost of alternative transport. This right is regulated by EU law as well as Swedish legislation and is intended to mitigate the impact of delays.

If the journey is over 150 km

Only if Mälartåg cannot offer you a suitable rebooking within 100 minutes of departure do you have the right to arrange other transport to reach your destination.

The compensation must cover necessary, appropriate, and reasonable costs, assessed on a case-by-case basis. For these long journeys there is no fixed statutory cap in the EU regulation. You must always be able to justify why the full amount was a “necessary and reasonable” measure. Always talk to Mälartåg before booking alternative travel so you do not risk having your claim denied.

If the journey is under 150 km

If the train risks being delayed by at least 20 minutes to your final destination and the operator cannot arrange suitable replacement transport, you have the right to organize other transport yourself.

• Delay of 20+ minutes: Alternative transport (up to SEK 1,470).
• Expected delay of at least 20 minutes: Alternative transport (up to SEK 1,470).

You may use another bus, your own car, or a taxi. You can claim these costs afterwards, but with a maximum of SEK 1,470 per trip. Always keep the receipt.

If the journey is over 150 km

You are entitled to reimbursement for meals and refreshments if your Mälartåg service is delayed by more than 60 minutes. Compensation is limited to non-alcoholic drinks and ready-to-eat food purchased close to the time of travel.

If Mälartåg already offers meals and drinks free of charge, you will not be reimbursed for equivalent purchases you make yourself. Remember to keep your receipts—they must be attached to your claim as proof.

If the journey is under 150 km

There is no statutory right to food and drinks for delays on routes shorter than 150 km. Mälartåg’s terms also do not provide any explicit guarantee of receiving meals or refreshments for short-distance delays.

If the journey is over 150 km

If a delay or cancellation means you cannot continue your trip on the same day, Mälartåg must offer you a hotel room or other accommodation when an overnight stay is necessary.

This only applies if the delay is caused by the operator and not by extraordinary circumstances (such as extreme weather or sabotage).

Save receipts for any expenses caused by the delay—Mälartåg must reimburse reasonable costs.

If the journey is under 150 km

There is no statutory right to accommodation for delays on routes shorter than 150 km.

Compensation for all routes

If you hold a Movingo ticket, you enjoy enhanced compensation rights regardless of the actual route length. The compensation levels are:

• Delay of 20–39 minutes: 50% of the ticket price*
• Delay of 40–59 minutes: 75% of the ticket price*
• Delay of 60 minutes or more: 100% of the ticket price*

The compensation is based on an average price per trip, calculated by dividing the total purchase price of the period ticket by a specific factor. For a 30-day ticket the factor is 22, whereas an annual ticket uses factor 264.

Factors for average price per trip

• Movingo 5/30 – Factor 10
• Movingo 30 days – Factor 22
• Movingo 90 days – Factor 66
• Movingo annual pass – Factor 264

You only receive compensation if the delay is caused by Mälartåg. You are not entitled to compensation if you miss an on-time train because of delayed local transport, or if the Mälartåg delay is under 20 minutes and you miss your connection. The total compensation paid during the validity of the period ticket can never exceed the ticket’s original purchase price.

*Delay compensation is calculated based on the average price per trip using the factors above.

Example compensation calculation

Consider a Movingo 30-day ticket costing SEK 5,500. The factor for a 30-day ticket is 22, giving an average price per trip of SEK 250 (5,500 / 22).

• Delay of 20–39 minutes: 50% of the ticket price*
• Delay of 40–59 minutes: 75% of the ticket price*
• Delay of 60 minutes or more: 100% of the ticket price*

If the train is delayed by 50 minutes you are entitled to 75% back. Calculation: SEK 250 × 0.75 = SEK 187.50. Your compensation would be SEK 187.50 in this example.