Hot trains, cold cash
August 29, 2010
German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has so far paid out 2.7 million euros ($3.5 million) to passengers affected by air conditioning failures on its high-speed trains.
A heat-wave in July exceeded the capabilities of the air-conditioning units on Inter-City Express (ICE) trains. Temperatures inside the trains were above 32 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit), causing some passengers to be hospitalized due to dehydration and the extreme heat.
A spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn said 23,000 passengers have so far received compensation, with more applications waiting to be processed.
The pay-outs vary according to a passenger's degree of suffering on board the overheated trains, with some receiving free travel vouchers or 500 euros in cash.
The Pro-Bahn passenger lobby group welcomed the payments. The organization's head, Karl-Peter Naumann, told the daily Hamburger Abendblatt that the rail operator was acting in a sensible way and that he was not aware of complaints about delayed payments.
Author: Matt Zuvela (Reuters/dpa)
Editor: Sean Sinico