The customer stated that the TER he took between Reims and Charleville-Mézières in June 2023 was delayed by 1h40, and this delay impacted the rest of his journey, which consisted of a first section between Paris-Est and Épernay, then a second section between Épernay and Reims, a third between Reims and Charleville-Mézières, and a final section between Charleville-Mézières and Joigny-sur-Meuse. Due to the delay of the first TER, he missed the departure of his last train to Joigny-sur-Meuse, where he was scheduled to attend a business appointment.

The Customer Relations Center had granted him a refund for the ticket affected by the delay, but the customer requested a refund for all of his tickets. After reminding the customer that a full refund for the tickets was not possible since, even though his journey had been disrupted, he was still able to reach his destination, the Mediator noted that his tickets were from four distinct orders, and no connection was provided by SNCF Voyageurs at Charleville-Mézières station.

As a result, she was unable to fulfill his request.

The customer indicated that they held a monthly Navigo Pass charged on their smartphone. In November 2022, while at La Garenne-Colombes station, an agent asked to see their ticket for inspection, but their smartphone was out of battery at that time. They had to regularize their situation under the reason ‘no travel ticket’ and requested a refund for the amount paid.

The Mediator reminded the basic rule that, according to the transport code, the traveler must be in possession of a valid travel ticket. Furthermore, the Travel Fares, general sales conditions, of SNCF Voyageurs, specify that ‘the traveler is required to have a mobile phone in good working condition and, in particular, to ensure it has sufficient battery to comply with all ticket inspection obligations’.

It turned out that the customer did indeed hold a valid monthly pass. Therefore, the Mediator proposed a refund of half the regularization fee.

The customer indicated that she had been fined for « no ticket » during her journey on a TER train between Dijon-Ville and Beaune in November 2022, even though she had been able to present an online ticket to the ticket inspector. She contested the reason for the fine and requested a refund for the penalty.

After discovering that the claimant’s ticket had been purchased online 4 minutes after the train’s departure, the Mediator reminded that it is the passenger’s responsibility to anticipate their purchase in order to have a valid ticket before boarding the train, since although TER tickets are generally valid all day, they are only valid for trains whose departure is after the purchase.

As a result, the refund was not granted.

A customer was scheduled to travel between Paris-Gare-du-Nord and London-Saint-Pancras in May 2020, before Brexit.

She was unable to travel due to restrictive measures related to the COVID-19 health crisis and subsequently canceled her tickets, for which she received digital vouchers valid until June 2022.

However, Brexit, which followed, introduced a new passport requirement for travel to the UK. As the claimant did not have a passport, she wished to have her Eurostar tickets refunded by bank transfer. Eurostar informed her that she could no longer receive the refund as the voucher validity period had expired.

Upon investigation, it was found that the claimant had requested the refund of her tickets before the expiration date of her vouchers, but had received no response from Eurostar’s Customer Service despite several follow-ups. The Mediator, considering all the facts, proposed that the vouchers be canceled and that the claimant be refunded via bank transfer.

The complainant stated that they were fined at the train station for « access control breach, » even though they had a « Passe Navigo Easy. » They explained that they were unaware that this pass did not allow travel in all fare zones of Île-de-France, unlike the monthly or annual Navigo passes for all zones.

The Mediator noted that the complainant had acknowledged the gate went off when they passed through without paying attention, and reminded them that the violation is constituted simply by passing through the access gates to the platforms without validating a valid transport ticket.

Therefore, the Mediator decided to uphold the fine.

The complainant was fined in July 2023 for « unauthorized non-pedestrian circulation » as he was riding his scooter on a platform at Gare du Nord in Paris. He claimed it was difficult to walk while keeping his scooter on the side, that his speed was lower than pedestrians, and that he immediately stopped when instructed by the ticketing officer. He particularly contested the amount of the fine.

The Mediator reminded the complainant of the provisions of article R 2241-9 of the transport code, which states that « in areas and vehicles intended for public transport of passengers or goods, it is prohibited for anyone to circulate, without authorization, on motorized or non-motorized vehicles, except for mobility devices used by persons with reduced mobility. » She also informed the complainant that signage in all stations warns passengers of the ban on riding scooters.

Given the danger of such circulation for other passengers, the Mediator proposed not to reduce the amount of the fine.

The complainant contacted the Mediation service to contest a ticket issued against her in May 2023 for « no transport title », while traveling on a TER train between Lyon-Part-Dieu and Bellegarde-sur-Valserine. During the inspection, she was unable to present her e-ticket as she did not have an internet connection on her smartphone.

After reminding that when passengers choose not to print their e-tickets, it is their responsibility to ensure they have access to them throughout the journey and when boarding the train (battery, internet connection…), the Mediator noted that the complainant did indeed have a valid ticket purchased before the train’s departure, for the correct route and date.

Therefore, the Mediator proposed to reduce the fine.