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Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) and HOTNAT

Have you missed your connection between two trains operated by different carriers? Don't worry! Even in the case of separate contracts of carriage), many rail operators have signed commercial agreements with each other to make it easier to change trains. These include the Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) and the HOTNAT service (for members of the Railteam alliance).

How does the Agreement on Journey Continuation work in practice?How does the AJC work in practice?

The Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC for short) is an agreement between several European rail operators to allow passengers on international trains to catch the next available train at no extra cost if they miss their connection.

The operators involved are BLS (Switzerland), CD (Czech Republic), CFL (Luxembourg), DB (Germany), DSB (Denmark), Eurostar (Belgium), GySEV (Austria/Hungary), HZPP (Croatia), MAV-Start (Hungary), NS (Netherlands), ÖBB (Austria), PKP (Poland), Renfe (Spain), SJ (Sweden), SBB-CFF-FFS (Switzerland), SNCB-NMBS (Belgium), SNCF (France), SZ (Slovenia), Trenitalia (Italy) and ZSSK (Slovakia).

If you miss your connection on an international journey because your previous train was delayed, you should go to the ticket office of your connection station (the station where you should have boarded on the international train you missed). The procedure is the same for all operators who have signed up to the agreement.

Example 1

You travel from Liège to Lyon via Brussels with the following tickets:

  • a ticket from our national service between the Liège Zone and the Brussels Zone (train operated by SNCB-NMBS)
  • a TGV INOUI ticket with a seat reservation from Brussels-Midi/Zuid to Lyon (train operated jointly by SNCB-NMBS and SNCF)

Your IC train from Liège to Brussels is unexpectedly delayed and you miss your connection at Brussels-Midi/Zuid. In this case, go to the international ticket office at Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid station (your connecting station) and tell them that your first train arrived late.

Our sales staff in Brussels South will check that you had allowed enough time for your connection when choosing your train and will give you a delay certificate and the timetable of the next TGV INOUI to your destination (same carrier), which you can use without having to buy a new ticket. This also applies to your possible connections beyond Lyon.

Example 2

You travel from Tournai to Paris via Lille with the following tickets

  • a cross-border ticket between Tournai and Lille Flandres (train operated by SNCB-NMBS)
  • a TGV INOUI ticket with seat reservation between Lille Flandres or Lille Europe and Paris Nord (train operated by SNCF)

Your IC train from Tournai to Lille is unexpectedly delayed and you miss your connection in Lille. In this case, go to the Boutique Voyage at Lille Flandres or Lille Europe station (your connecting station) and mention that your first train arrived late.

The SNCF sales staff at the Boutique Voyage will check that you had allowed enough time for your connection when choosing your train, and will give you a delay certificate and the timetable of the next train to your destination (same carrier), which you can use without having to buy a new ticket.

Conditions

  • when making your initial booking, you should have allowed sufficient transfer time for your connections.
  • being able to catch the next train without having to buy a new ticket does not guarantee you a seat.
  • each of your tickets is a separate contract of carriage. If you are delayed during your journey, only the train that was actually delayed will be taken into account in the event of a claim for compensatrion.

Download the full information leaflet (PDF)

Railteam's HOTNAT service

Railteam is an association of several railway companies which aims to make travel easier for passengers using the European high-speed rail network.

Railteam members are Deutsche Bahn (ICE), Société nationale des chemins de fer français (TGV Inoui), Eurostar, Österreichische Bundesbahnen (Railjet), Schweizerische Bundesbahnen, Nederlandse Spoorwegen Internationaal and Société nationale des chemins de fer belges / Nationale maatschappij der Belgische spoorwegen, as well as the associated member TGV Lyria.

Each of these companies offers high-quality intercity rail services and operates fast, comfortable trains. They aim to ensure the greatest possible continuity of service across the European rail network.

Therefore, should your high speed train from the Railteam alliance be delayed or cancelled, leading you to miss your connection with another high speed train from this alliance, Railteam offers the HOTNAT service (Hop on the next available train).

The HOTNAT service allows travellers to take the next high-speed train leaving from the same station as originally planned when a delay on or cancellation of a preceding high-speed service prevents them from making their originally-planned connection. This service is free of charge and is subject to the following conditions :

  • the connection that was missed must be between two cross border high-speed trains of the Railteam Alliance;
  • HOTNAT only applies at the station where the passenger originally planned to change trains;
  • the approval of HOTNAT is subject to available capacity on board each train and seats are not guaranteed.

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* Unless expressly stated otherwise, all fares quoted are per person/per leg (VAT included) based on an online reservation for a 2nd class return from Brussels. Please note, terms and conditions apply. Tip: As the number of seats at the lowest fares on Eurostar, TGV INOUI and ICE trains is limited, we recommend that you book your trip as early as possible. Most international trains allow reservations to be made from 4 months before the date of departure. On ICE trains, booking is possible as early as 180 days before departure, and on Eurostar, booking is possible from min. 157 and max. 277 days before departure, depending on the time of the year.).

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