SNCB pays €540,000 compensation for late trains

The SNCB paid out more than half a million euros in compensation to passengers for delayed trains last year and approved four out of five requests for money back, new figures from the Belgian rail operator reveal.

The €539,405 compensation figure is less than half the amount paid in 2016, which the SNCB described as an "exceptional" year for rail punctuality problems due to a number of strikes.

The rail operator received 46,110 compensation requests last year for one-off delays. Passengers are entitled to a full refund if their train is at least an hour late.

Another 7,910 requests were for repeated delays over a six-month period. A 50% refund is granted if, over a period of six months, there were at least 10 delays of 30 minutes or more. Passengers can claim back 25% if 20 delays of more than 15 minutes.

More details of how to claim money back can be found on the SNCB website.