§ 1 Validity of the terms and conditions
These conditions of transportation apply as an agreement between SJ Norge AS (hereby “SJ Norge”) and the individual passenger. A passenger is any person travelling on trains operated by or under contract to SJ Norge AS.
§ 2 SJ Norge’s obligation to transport passengers
A. SJ Norge is obligated to transport passengers with a valid ticket to the specified destination station. The transport shall take place without undue delay and, if necessary, by a means of transport other than rail.
B. SJ Norge shall provide information on the accessibility of the transport service for persons with disabilities. Information shall be provided on the conditions for boarding and disembarking on the company’s trains, as well as information on the assistive devices available on board the trains. Persons with disabilities must be offered assistance free of charge when boarding and disembarking the train. Some stations also offer assistance in the station area to and from the train. Passengers can find information on this here. Tickets can be purchased to Entur here.
C. SJ Norge AS is not obliged to transport passengers who do not comply with the station or on-board staff’s instructions, are intoxicated or whose behavior may pose a safety risk or be a nuisance to fellow passengers, or require extraordinary accommodation in connection with the transport and SJ Norge has not had the opportunity to plan the necessary measures in advance, or SJ Norge does not consider it justifiable to take the passenger for safety reasons.
D. Passengers may be expelled from SJ Norge’s means of transport in the event of a serious breach of the conditions of carriage. A serious breach of the conditions of carriage includes, among other things, failure to comply with the instructions of the station or on-board staff, or behavior that could pose a safety risk or be a serious nuisance to fellow passengers.
E. Passengers may be refused access to SJ Norge’s means of transport in the event of a serious breach of the conditions of carriage, after first receiving a written warning of refusal of access in the event of repeated serious breaches of the conditions of carriage. Refusal of access may take place for a period of up to 4 months. Notice of refusal of access shall be given to the passenger in writing. A written warning of refusal of access is effective for a period of 12 months after it has been given. Passengers who are denied access to SJ Norge’s means of transport may, against payment of an administration fee of NOK 150, -, demand a refund of the residual value of the season ticket or tickets they are unable to use as a consequence of the denial of access.
F. SJ Norge’s may suspend train departures and reorganize rolling stock when this is necessary due to reasons beyond SJ Norge’s control, such as extraordinary weather conditions or natural disasters, unforeseen problems with the route, public orders and prohibitions, strikes and lockouts, etc.
§ 3 Luggage
A. Passengers may carry hand luggage weighing up to 30 kg, maximum 3 items, which they bring into the train themselves and place in a suitable place. Passengers may not bring luggage that is a nuisance to fellow passengers. The luggage must be placed on the hat rack, in front of the passenger’s seat or in marked places for luggage in the train. The same applies to skis, prams and similar items. Bicycles, sledges, bicycle trailers and the like may be carried under certain conditions, see www.sj.no. Passengers must supervise their luggage during the train journey. Each passenger is responsible for the luggage they bring on board.
B. Pets must be in a portable cage or kept on a lead and may be taken to the designated area. The on-board staff has the right to turn away passengers with animals if the animals brought on board are a nuisance or a safety risk. Specific rules for guide dogs in service and assistance dogs for the disabled are described in the accessibility section. Each passenger is responsible for the animals they bring on board.
C. Luggage that could obviously pose a security risk cannot be brought onto the train. Passengers cannot carry dangerous goods such as explosive and flammable objects and liquids, as well as toxic, infectious or corrosive substances.
D. Weapons for hunting and sport, as well as for defence personnel, may be accepted and carried on the train. The owner of the weapon must contact the person in charge of the train before boarding. For safety reasons, the person in charge may refuse to allow the passenger to take weapons and ammunition on board the train. During transport, the gun owner is responsible for the firearms and ammunition and for ensuring that they are supervised throughout the journey. Firearms must be empty of ammunition. The weapon must be packed in a case, bag, pouch, sack or similar, and the breech block must be stored separately. It is not permitted to transport weapons in holsters or similar that are worn on the body.
E. Up to 5 kg of ammunition may be carried provided that it is packed in its original packaging.
§ 4 Tickets
A. Ticket means a proof of entitlement to travel and includes all SJ Norge’s approved ticket types and travel certificates. Purchase, cancellation and refund rules depend on the type of ticket. See http://www.sj.no for more information.
B. Counterfeiting a ticket will result in an increased surcharge set by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and/or reporting to the police.
C. Passengers who upon inspection do not have an activated or otherwise valid ticket will be charged a fee set by the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Passengers who are entitled to travel free of charge will not be charged a fee. Purchase and validation of digital/electronic tickets shall be made before boarding.
§ 5 General provisions on the journey
Boarding or alighting is not permitted while the train is in motion or temporarily stopped outside the station, at crossing tracks, waiting for a signal or similar. It is also not permitted to open exit doors while the train is in motion or when the train stops outside the station. Passengers must comply with the instructions of the on-board staff.
§ 6 Delays
A. A delay means late arrival at the destination station in relation to SJ Norge’s timetable. Significant delay means all SJ Norge’s long-distance trains (routes F6 between Oslo and Trondheim, and F7 between Trondheim and Bodø) that are more than 60 minutes late, and all other SJ Norge’s trains that are more than 30 minutes late.
B. In the event of a significant delay, the passenger may submit a claim for coverage of documented foreseeable direct expenses, limited upwards to 2/10 of the National Insurance basic amount, for example:
- Expenses for the most reasonable alternative means of transport to the destination station, if SJ Norge has not established another transport alternative for the route within a reasonable time.
- Necessary telephone expenses.
- Board and lodging when necessary and where SJ Norge does not provide this free of charge to the customer.
C. However, compensation cannot be claimed if the passenger, despite the delay, has enough time to reach the departure for onward transport. The passenger is obliged to limit any loss by calculating a reasonable time from arrival at the destination station to the corresponding means of transport, ref. § 6 A.
D. Compensation, however, cannot be claimed if the passenger has not allowed for the time margin of 60 minutes on long-distance trains between Oslo and Trondheim, and between Trondheim and Bodø, and 30 minutes on all other trains. This also applies to train arrival at the airport and check-in time for flights. This means that an additional 60/30 minutes of extra time must be accounted for upon arrival at the airport, in addition to the airline’s check-in time.
E. Compensation cannot be claimed if the passenger had been informed of the delay, missed connection or cancellation of the train before or when purchasing the ticket, or if the passenger, despite the delay, or after rebooking, has arrived at the destination station on time or with a delay of maximum 60 minutes.
F. Compensation cannot be claimed if the delay or cancellation of the train is due to circumstances beyond the control of SJ Norge or Bane NOR SF, such as extraordinary weather conditions or natural events, public orders and prohibitions, strikes and lockouts, etc. The passenger is nevertheless entitled to claim a refund of the ticket price in accordance with sections § 6 H and §6 J.
G. When a journey involves a change of train, the transfer time must be a minimum of 60 minutes for long-distance journeys. For other journeys the transfer time is set at a minimum of 30 minutes. For journeys where a shorter transfer time has been chosen, no claim can be made for alternative transport in the event of delays or service interruptions. In cases where transfer happens between trains both belonging to SJ, transfers are guaranteed even if the chosen transfer time is less than the required minimum (60/30 minutes).
H. When trains can reasonably be expected to arrive with a delay of more than 60 minutes to the final destination according to the transport agreement, the passenger shall immediately be given a choice between:
- reimbursement of the ticket in full under the same conditions as when it was purchased, for the part or parts of the journey concerned that have not been completed, and for the part or parts already completed if the journey is no longer of interest in relation to the passenger’s original travel plan, as well as a return journey to the original place of departure if applicable,
- continuation or re-routing of the journey under comparable transport conditions to the final destination at the earliest opportunity; or,
- continuation or re-routing of the journey under comparable transport conditions to the final destination at a later date at the passenger’s convenience.
I. In the event of delays exceeding 60 minutes, passengers shall be offered free of charge the following:
- meals and refreshments proportionate to the waiting time, if available on board the train or at the railway station, or if they can be provided under reasonable conditions,
- hotel or other accommodation and transport between the railway station and the place of accommodation if a stay of one or more nights is necessary, or if a further stay is necessary, when and if physically possible,
- transport from the train to the railway station, to an alternative point of departure or to the final destination of the train service if the train remains on the track and if this is physically feasible. At the passenger’s request, Go-Ahead Nordic must confirm in writing that the train has been delayed or cancelled and, if applicable, whether the delay has resulted in lost correspondence.
J. Passengers who are delayed at the arrival station may claim a refund of 50% of the ticket price:
- A delay of more than 60 minutes on SJ Norge’s trains between Oslo and Trondheim, and between Trondheim and Bodø.
- A delay of more than 30 minutes on all other SJ Norge’s trains. Travelers with a season ticket will be refunded the ticket price according to the same principle as mentioned above, but divided by the number of days the season ticket is valid for. The maximum total refund for a season ticket is limited to 50% of the purchase price of the ticket. No refund of the ticket price can be claimed if the passenger had already been notified of delays of 30/60 minutes before the ticket was purchased.
§ 7 Defects
A. A defect exists if the journey does not correspond to what the passenger had reason to expect based on the price of the journey, travel conditions and travel information. The passenger who believes that there is a defect is obliged, as far as possible, to inform SJ Norge’s staff of this without undue delay. If the defect is not remedied during the journey, the passenger may claim a proportionate price reduction.
B. If the passenger incurs expenses for alternative transport or other necessary measures due to incorrect information from SJ Norge’s staff, incorrectly issued ticket or incorrect information in route publications, the passenger may claim compensation for directly foreseeable documented expenses caused by the error. The passenger is nevertheless obliged to limit the expenses to a reasonable extent.
§ 8 Management of complaints
Claims based on § 6 B and J, as well as § 7 A and B, must be submitted in writing and without undue delay within 3 – three months – after the incident, accompanied by documentation (original travel documents etc.), to SJ Norge’s Customer Service, Jernbanetorget 1, 0154 OSLO or electronically to [email protected]. The claim shall include an account of the course of events in the case.
In case there are several claims concerning reimbursement of a period ticket (does not apply to an all-year ticket), shall all of these be sent together after the ticket’s validity has expired. For all-year tickets the claim must be presented no later than 3 months after the incident took place. An eventual refusion shall be paid within a month after SJ Norge has received the complaint and the necessary documentation.
Should the passenger not be granted a refund after their complaint, can a dispute case be filed at the Norwegian Travel Complaints Board for the Railway. More information can be found here. You will also find a form to fill up your complaint.
The passenger shall also be given a change to send a complaint to the EU platform for online dispute resolution (the ODR portal).
§ 9 General liability rules for SJ Norge and passengers
SJ Norge’s liability for passengers and their hand luggage is regulated by the Railway Liability Act of 10 June 1977 no. 73.
The passenger is obliged to compensate for damage caused intentionally or negligently to fellow passengers, railway equipment, SJ Norge’s employees or SJ Norge’s property.
If a passenger under the age of 18 has caused damage, the child’s parents will be responsible for compensating the damage in accordance with section 1-2 of the Damage Compensation Act.
If baggage carried by the customer, in whole or in part, is lost or damaged during the journey, SJ Norge is obliged to compensate for the loss or damage if, in the same incident, personal injury occurs for which SJ Norge is fully liable under section 3 of the Railway Liability Act, or the loss or damage is due to fault or negligence on the part of SJ Norge. Liability is limited to half the basic amount in the National Insurance Scheme (1/2 G) for each traveler.
The terms and conditions apply to travel as of June 8th 2020. The Conditions of Carriage are available at SJ Norge’s Customer Service, at manned railway stations and at www.sj.no. Passengers’ rights under the Conditions of Carriage apply as a supplement to the rules in the Regulation on the rights and obligations of rail passengers of 3 September 2010 No. 1241 (the Rail Passenger Rights Regulation) and can only be invoked by passengers with a valid ticket.
Contact information
Customer Service Phone number: (+47) 61 25 22 00
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.sj.no