1: First contact the railway company
If your domestic long-distance train is delayed by more than an hour, always first contact the railway company. Lodge a complaint on the company website at the earliest opportunity.
Business traveller: make a complaint about a delayed train journey
If your domestic long-distance train in Finland is delayed by more than an hour, you may have a right to care and assistance as well as compensation for the ticket price. You may also choose reimbursement of the ticket price or re-routing. This page includes advice on how to make a complaint and send it to the relevant authority.
REMINDER REGARDING YOUR RIGHT TO REIMBURSEMENT WHEN A CARRIER CANCELS YOUR TRIP
When a carrier cancels your trip, you are entitled to reimbursement of the ticket price or re-routing in accordance with EU passenger rights regulations.
If you choose reimbursement, you are entitled to a cash refund. The carrier may alternatively offer you a voucher, but you have the right to refuse it.
Learn more about your right to reimbursement and other passenger rights on these Traficom webpages and the website of the European Commission, which contains a wealth of information on passenger rights during the coronavirus pandemic. For the European Commission's interpretative guidelines on passenger rights in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, see the following link: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52020XC0318(04)&from=FI (External link).
CONTACT THE CORRECT AUTHORITY
In Finland, passenger complaints are handled by two authorities. The relevant authority depends on whether you were travelling as a consumer or as a business traveller.
You are considered a consumer if you travel for leisure and pay for your own journey. Please contact the Consumer Advisory Service (External link). Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board.
You are considered a business traveller if you travel for work and your employer pays for your journey. In this case, please contact Traficom.
First contact the railway company directly
In the event of a problem, complain to the railway company as soon as possible. You can submit your complaint on the company website.
Before making a complaint, learn about your rights in different situations
Please note that Traficom only handles complaints about delays in domestic long-distance train services.
Only some rail passenger rights apply to commuter trains in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The rights do not apply to rail traffic between Finland and Russia. Read more: Exceptions concerning commuter trains in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area and trains to Russia.
How to make a complaint
2: Wait for the railway company’s response
The railway company must reply to your complaint within a month.
In justified cases, the company has up to 3 months from receiving the complaint to give its reply.
3: Choose the correct authority
If you are not satisfied with the response you get to your complaint, you can contact the authority overseeing passenger rights. Make sure you complain to the right authority.
In Finland, there are two authorities handling passenger right complaints. The relevant authority depends on whether you are a consumer or a business traveller.
According to law, you are a consumer if you were travelling in your leisure time and paid for the journey yourself. Please contact the Consumer Advisory Service (External link). Consumer complaints are resolved by the Consumer Disputes Board.
If you were travelling in another EU country, send your complaint to the relevant authority in the country where the incident took place. Contact information of competent authorities (External link) (National Enforcement Bodies for rail transport).
4: Traficom handles complaints from business travellers
Business travellers can send their complaints to Traficom by e-mail.
Attach to the complaint your correspondence with the railway company, a copy of your ticket and any other documents you consider relevant.
Send your complaint to kirjaamo@traficom.fi.
If your complaint contains personal information, you can send it as a secure message. Instructions for sending secure email to Traficom. (External link)
If you cannot send the complaint documents by e-mail, you can send them to Traficom by post: Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, PO Box 320, 00059 TRAFICOM, Finland.
5: Traficom may issue recommendations
Traficom has competence to issue recommendations concerning complaints by business travellers.