1. In the case of a delay in arrival or departure, or cancellation of a service, passengers shall be kept informed of the situation and of the estimated departure time and estimated arrival time of the service or the replacement service by the railway undertaking or by the station manager as soon as such information is available. Where ticket vendors and tour operators have such information, they shall also provide it to the passenger.
2. Where the delay referred to in paragraph 1 amounts to 60 minutes or more, or the service is cancelled, the railway undertaking operating the delayed or cancelled service shall offer the passengers the following, free of charge:
(a)
meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the waiting time, if they are available on the train or in the station, or can reasonably be supplied, taking into account criteria such as the distance from the supplier, the time required for delivery and the cost;
(b)
hotel or other accommodation, and transport between the railway station and place of accommodation, in cases where a stay of one or more nights becomes necessary or an additional stay becomes necessary, where and when physically possible. In cases where such a stay becomes necessary due to the circumstances referred to in Article 19(10), the railway undertaking may limit the duration of accommodation to a maximum of three nights. The access requirements of persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility and the needs of assistance dogs shall be taken into account, whenever possible;
(c)
if the train is blocked on the track, transport from the train to the railway station, to the alternative departure point or to the final destination of the service, where and when physically possible.
3. If the railway service is interrupted and cannot be continued anymore or cannot be continued within a reasonable period, railway undertakings shall provide passengers as soon as possible with alternative transport services and make the necessary arrangements.
4. Railway undertakings shall inform affected passengers how to request certification that the rail service has suffered a delay, led to a missed connection or that it has been cancelled. This certification shall also apply in connection with the provisions laid down in Article 19.
5. In applying paragraphs 1 to 4, the operating railway undertaking shall pay particular attention to the needs of persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility, as well as to those of any accompanying persons and assistance dogs.
6. Where contingency plans are established pursuant to Article 13a(3) of Directive 2012/34/EU, the railway undertakings shall coordinate with the station manager and infrastructure manager in order to prepare them for the possibility of major disruption and long delays leading to a considerable number of passengers being stranded in the station. Such contingency plans shall include requirements for the accessibility of alert and information systems.