Vehicle-Related Details to be Revealed in Certain Situations:
Passengers who were stranded in an Austrian tunnel following a train breakdown on Saturday afternoon are eligible for full refunds, as announced by Klaus Baumgartner, spokesperson for Austrian Railways (ÖBB). The ICE 90 "Donauwalzer" to Hamburg was initially towed back to Vienna, but was found to be non-operational.
The train breakdown was caused by a malfunction of the ICE's pantograph, according to ÖBB. Passengers were transported by bus and regional trains to Vienna and St. Pölten after exiting the tunnel. Approximately 400 passengers are eligible for full refunds due to the cancellation of their journeys.
Under standard passenger rights, passengers would typically only be entitled to a 50% refund in cases of significant delays. However, in this instance, the full refunds were a result of the train cancellations, enabling passengers to claim their entire ticket cost back. This differs from standard delay compensations which apply only when a journey still takes place but is late.
European passenger rights laws for international rail journeys allow full refunds in case of cancellation or when services are not provided as contracted. If the train is cancelled and passengers opt not to travel, the regulations grant a full refund of the ticket price — this overrides partial delay compensation rights.
For passengers who needed to overnight due to the delay, hotel vouchers were provided. The Hamburg-Wien route is now operational, and a Wien-Hamburg train is running again.
Unrelated to the train incident, there were other incidents reported in Hamm. An explosion occurred due to a spray can on a stove, and a motorcyclist was severely injured in a collision in Hamm-Herringen. Further details about these incidents can be found on the provided news source.
The exact cause of the train breakdown is currently unknown and under investigation. Despite the unexpected events, ÖBB's response to the situation has been commended for its promptness and generosity towards affected passengers.
The breakdown of the ICE 90 train, an incident within the automotive industry involving transportation, was caused by a malfunction in the train's pantograph and led to cancellation of journeys on the Hamburg-Wien route, for which passengers are eligible for full refunds under European passenger rights laws. This generous response from ÖBB, also active in the finance sector, not only includes full refunds but also hotel vouchers for stranded passengers.