Skyrocketing Train Reservations - German Rail Stirs Controversy with "Scandalous" Pricing
Outrage over Deutsche Bahn - "A Scandalous Situation"
Get ready to dig deeper into your pockets if you're planning a family trip by train in Germany. Set to commence on Sunday, German Rail is revamping its timetable and pricing policies - a move that has resulted in a public outcry. The axing of family reservations and the hike in fees for pre-booked seats have political parties and passenger associations up in arms.
Taking a family excursion on German Rail will soon be a costlier affair. Say goodbye to the family reservation option, as the state-owned company makes way for the new timetable on Sunday. Now, all passengers, regardless of age, need to pay for seat reservations. Not only that, but prices for reservations in both classes will increase. In second class, the price is soaring by 30 cents to 5.50 euros. In first class, the pre-booked seat will now cost 6.90 euros instead of 6.50 euros.
This means that a family with three children will be shelling out 27.50 euros for a second-class reservation, compared to the current 10.40 euros. In first class, the fee gets inflated from 13 euros to 34.50 euros. The last time the reservation fees were increased was in June 2021.
The ecological transport club VCD has called on the rail company to preserve the family reservation option. "Families with kids rely on reserved seats," says the head of the club, Kerstin Haarmann. "They are now facing another price hike, just six months after the last regular increase in December." Haarmann advises the rail company to focus on making the general offer more affordable, rather than offering short-term discounts.
Detlef Neuss, chairman of the passenger association Pro Bahn, tells the 'Rheinische Post' that the price hike is "unjustifiable." The increase will likely lead families to think twice before opting for train travel, especially for family visits like meeting grandparents. Neuss warns that families may consider shifting towards cars, and urges the rail company to reconsider the fee. "The federal government must now fulfill its supervisory role," Neuss insists.
Michaela Engelmeier, the chairperson of the German Social Association, emphasizes that the additional costs will have a disproportionate impact on households with smaller incomes, making eco-friendly train journeys more difficult to choose.
Yet, the controversy does not end here. Political parties like the Greens and the CDU have also voiced their concern over the decision. The Green Party's Victoria Broßart sees the move as a "scandal." The rail company, according to Broßart, seeks to drive families away from its trains by capitalizing on their need to sit together. The CDU's traffic expert, Christoph Ploß, echoes the sentiment, stating that seat reservations can be beneficial in organizing and managing train usage for passengers, but families should not be unduly burdened.
Rail expert Matthias Gastel from the Greens criticizes the strategy as "shameless" in light of the services offered by German Rail long-distance trains. Gastel contends that the poor performance of these trains is being transferred to passengers in various ways, and that the rail company should prioritize delivering what customers expect instead. Gastel also believes that the federal government should shoulder more of its responsibility for the rail service.
In sum, the move to scrap family reservations and hike individual seat reservation prices has triggered a wave of criticism from passengers, consumer associations, and political parties. They argue that the increased costs make train travel less attractive and financially burdensome for families, potentially leading to a decrease in customers for German Rail.
- The controversy surrounding German Rail's new timetable and pricing policy extends beyond the travel industry, with political parties and consumer associations voicing their concerns.
- The hike in fees for pre-booked seats and the elimination of family reservations has sparked a public outcry, prompting political figures like Victoria Broßart from the Green Party to denounce the move as a "scandal."
- The ecological transport club VCD is urging the rail company to reconsider the decision, arguing that families with children depend on the reserved seating option.
- Detlef Neuss, chairman of the passenger association Pro Bahn, believes the price hike is "unjustifiable" and may lead families to consider alternative forms of transport, such as cars.
- The increased costs of train travel are a particular burden for households with smaller incomes, according to Michaela Engelmeier, the chairperson of the German Social Association.
- Rail expert Matthias Gastel from the Greens believes the rail company's strategy is "shameless" and criticizes the poor performance of long-distance trains, arguing that the federal government should bear more responsibility for the rail service.
- The CDU's traffic expert, Christoph Ploß, agrees that seat reservations can be beneficial for managing train usage, but argues that families should not be unduly burdened by the increased fees.
- The revised pricing policy is not solely a point of concern for policy-and-legislation, but also of general-news interest, and sports enthusiasts may even find themselves discussing football, baseball, hockey, golf, sports-betting, and racing, as potential alternatives to train travel for family outings.