End of the family reservation: train: Reservation for families is much more expensive

Families who want to reserve seats for a trip to Deutsche Bahn will have to dig deeper into their pockets in the future. As the federal company reports on its homepage, the family reservation is abolished with the change of timetable this Sunday. There is criticism and incomprehension of associations, but also parties.

In the future, all travelers – including children – will have to pay for a seat reservation. In addition, the price for a reservation in the second class is 30 cents more expensive and is then 5.50 euros. In the first class, the fixed place then costs 6.90 euros instead of 6.50 euros.

Specifically, this means: Instead of the 10.40 euros for a family reservation, a family with two children will pay 22 euros in the future. 44 euros come together for back and forth.

“In fact, a new price increase”

The ecological traffic club VCD asked the train to maintain the family reservation. “Families with children in particular are dependent on reserved seats,” said Federal Chairman Kerstin Haarmann. “In fact, a new price increase is now in de facto; just six months after the last regular increase in December.” She advised the railway to “rely less on short -term discounts and instead to keep the general offer affordable”.

Jörg Bruchertsifer from the Pro Bahn passenger association said: “Politics and representatives of the owner are required to make families with children environmentally friendly trips by train.

The environmental organization Greenpeace was also outraged. “Deutsche Bahn seems to want to drive families into the car,” said transport expert Lena Donat. “If a family of four has to leaf of 44 euros alone for the reservation, it is more than many cars consume fuel on 400 kilometers.” The desire to move up comfortably and climate -friendly should not become a luxury. The CEO of the Social Association of Germany, Michaela Engelmeier, emphasized: “Every additional burden makes households with small income and makes it difficult to decide on a climate -friendly arrival by train.”

Parties also came from parties – and the demand for rethinking the train. “Families with children in particular are dependent on having seats on the train. To capitalize on this need now is a scandal,” said Victoria Broßart, Member of the Bundestag. The train seems to want to drive out families from their trains. “With this price policy, they will prefer to use the car for visiting Grandma or the trip on vacation.” CDU MP Christoph Ploß told the “Rheinische Post” that the train should rethink its approach.

Train: Children up to 14 trips for free

Among other things, Deutsche Bahn points out that children up to and including 14 years accompanied an adult can ride the train free of charge. With the elimination of the special reservation option, there is hardly anything to change for families: “The family reservation is largely booked with a child with a child,” said the train. Family reservation only brought a price advantage from three travelers.

Five percent of all long -distance travelers have so far booked family reservations. With 133.4 million travelers in the long -distance traffic of Deutsche Bahn last year, this would be around 6.7 million passengers who used this option.

DB information Pro Bahn passenger association for the plans