Not sure if mentioned earlier in the thread but it's noticeable how much less reliable the German trains are on both seasons of "Tag Across Europe" on the YouTube channel Jet Lag: The Game when compared with France especially. Feels like it's similar to over here tbh!
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German Rail in decline ?
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YorkshireBear
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Having just booked tickets using the new DB website for the first time, (not sure if this is the new websites fault) but why when booking a group of 6 would it spread the 6 of you around the carriage? As tickets only went on sale this morning, it won't be an availability thing!
Not spectacularly passenger friendly.
Not spectacularly passenger friendly.
Never happened to me, unless the train was almost full. You can check by starting a booking for 1 person and then pulling up the seating plan for the reservation.
YorkshireBear
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With the strikes in Belgium today DB stated which international trains they would and would not run. So far so good.
Today they've on the day just given up and cancelled everything, but not until I was on the Eurostar to Brussels, appreciate strikes aren't there fault but why announce you specifically are still running some trains! Not quite sure on the rules around being able to catch a Thalys, but will chance my arm.
Today they've on the day just given up and cancelled everything, but not until I was on the Eurostar to Brussels, appreciate strikes aren't there fault but why announce you specifically are still running some trains! Not quite sure on the rules around being able to catch a Thalys, but will chance my arm.
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Goldfish62
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DB seem to regard their services to Brussels as optional at the best of times.
You'll be able to travel on Thalys courtesy of HOTNAT (Hop On The Next Available Train). A seat won't be guaranteed.
Bletchleyite
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Despite its wording I believe you do need to rebook at the interchange station for this - you can't simply "hop on".
duesselmartin
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be aware that a German rail strike is also possible soon. GDL is at it again.
I suppose once you have completed the paperwork there's nothing preventing you from hopping on rather than stepping on in a more conventional manner.
Goldfish62
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OK, perhaps I should have been more explicit. Go to the Railteam ticket office. They will endorse the ticket allowing you to board the next available train. I have done this myself.
YorkshireBear
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I have paid for a Thalys ticket to cologne. I decided not to argue considering the main international office is completely shut and deserted. Couldn't find anyone to speak to.
riceuten
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Looking at the journey planner, intrigued that it is presently routing people Cologne - Aachen, Aachen to Eupen by bus, then Eupen to Brussels via local train.And a later train Cologne - Aachen, Aachen to Maastricht, Maastricht to Liege, then Liege to Brussels via local train! Though later in the day, it routes people Cologne to Mönchengladbach, Mönchengladbach to Venlo, Venlo to Eindhoven, Eindhoven to Breda, Breda to Antwerp and Antwerp to Brussels ! A mere 4 hours and 46 minutes.
Your hopes are raised by it showing the 15.40 ICE running to Brussels (and even the €75.90 fare!) but then if you click on it, it states "Streikauswirkungen. Der Zug endet außerplanmäßig in Köln Hbf" (Strike impact. The train ends unscheduled in Cologne central station)
Your hopes are raised by it showing the 15.40 ICE running to Brussels (and even the €75.90 fare!) but then if you click on it, it states "Streikauswirkungen. Der Zug endet außerplanmäßig in Köln Hbf" (Strike impact. The train ends unscheduled in Cologne central station)
YorkshireBear
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We just passed an ICE at Brussels Nord so assume the 12:25 is running but it wasn't showing as running so I didn't risk it. Think I'll go via Paris next time!
Presumably the Aachen-Verviers local is cancelled.
The train (ICE 14) ran, as was already announced by NMBS on Monday. DB still don't mention which ICEs will run and wich ones won't.
nlogax
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Strikes aside, I've been here in Germany best part of a week and have once again enjoyed the rather surreal experience of public transport just...working. No cancelled ICE/IC or Regional services visible anywhere from the multiple main stations I've visited. Thus far I've seen one unexpected ICE reverse formation and the biggest delay I've had was sub-ten minutes getting into Hamburg Hbf from Berlin.
Of course this is purely my own experience and limited to the east and north of the country but thus far DB, ODEG etc continue to be hugely impressive.
Of course this is purely my own experience and limited to the east and north of the country but thus far DB, ODEG etc continue to be hugely impressive.
haltendehand
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That is very surprising - don't think the figures are out for October yet, but September's punctuality figures are staggeringly awful: 58.4% Time-To-5 on long-distance, with even usually reliable regional services now falling below 90%.
How much notice do their unions have to give? I'm over there in a couple of weeks.
Would it affect the non-DB operated trains too?
Jamesrob637
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I don't think they require two weeks' notice unlike here. I may be wrong, however.
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How is Switzerland, in comparison?
nlogax
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Are these figures region-specific or an average for the whole country? I remember reading of and previously experiencing problems on cross-border services to the west. I’m on the IC Berlijn to Amsterdam tomorrow so probably should look at the figures..maybe this will be the one that muddies my experience for the week.
Just try the Ruhrgebiet, scene of my most recent horror stories.
Now, 09/11/2023 15:50, Düsseldorf-Essen:
ICE108 18' late, track fault between Köln Messe and Siegburg/Bonn
FLX1342 27' late, delay in train preparation
ICE943 9 late, delay to preceding train
RE6,RE2 6' late, points failure
Look familiar
duesselmartin
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They can badically call a strike almost immidietly and I expect GDL to pull that card.
They also said they are considering striking over Xmas.
nlogax
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This week’s first sign of something resembling substantial DB issues, due to train repairs (?) the IC Berlijn service (loco hauled stock) has been substituted with an ICE4 set to Bad Bentheim at which point I’m relying on NS to get us any further. It’s going to be a long day, but at least we’re on our way as scheduled.
DanielB
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I see that the 147 to Berlin is cancelled as of Bad Bentheim with a replacement train number for the remainder of the trip to Berlin. So probably passengers will be swapping trains there, with the ICE returning to Berlin and the loco hauled stock to Amsterdam.
yoyothehobo
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I agree with this, it was my first thought when watching it to be honest!
peterinsurrey
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I was on IC147, cross platform to ICE4 at Bad Bentheim onto IC2917, which I'm on currently, running in the same schedule to Berlin.
UPDATE: better acceleration of the ICE4 appears to have made us approach Berlin HBF 10 minutes early!
UPDATE: better acceleration of the ICE4 appears to have made us approach Berlin HBF 10 minutes early!
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nlogax
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So apparently we crossed platforms - I took IC2916 to Bad Bentheim and waited in the cold and damp for your train to arrive, while you had the luxury of our pre-warmed ICE4 all ready to go!
We got into Amsterdam 62 mins over, so there’ll be 25% delay repay for me.
SocietyForFer
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I just took an ICE from Paris to Frankfurt today that was delayed by 30 minutes. What surprised me was how it got delayed in the first place considering nothing unusual happened on the trip. There was however some notable times after already being delayed that included waiting (i.e. circling) close to Frankfurt Hpb which leads me to a comparison...
In France I have been on numerous trains that have been delayed at departure (for example security) but the trains would always arrive on time (once making up a 30 minute delay on a 150 minute journey!). This gives me the impression that the French railway system has built-in a lot more slack than the German railway system.
Another good example from France was that when one long intercity train broke down, they simply attached two long intercity trains together on the next departure for the scheduled train and cancelled train, and this is doable because the platforms were able to cope with it. They had slack to be able to run special double long trains.
The French decided to improve their railways by building entirely new railways and thereby expanding capacity. They also built a number of commuter and suburban railways to expand capacity at mainline railway station (e.g. RER). This allowed for the French to cope with expanding passenger usage AND allow it keep significant room/slack for special situations.
The Germans decided to replace certain parts of track and improve existing infrastructure, but rising passenger use created a over saturated infrastructure and no room for slack.
And I think something to point out is that while most of the problems in Germany seem to be related to excessive delays, most problems in the UK seem to be outright cancellations. This is probably because frequencies tend to be higher in the UK meaning that catching the next train isn't so outrageous, whereas in Germany the frequencies tend to be lower but routes more numerous.
In France I have been on numerous trains that have been delayed at departure (for example security) but the trains would always arrive on time (once making up a 30 minute delay on a 150 minute journey!). This gives me the impression that the French railway system has built-in a lot more slack than the German railway system.
Another good example from France was that when one long intercity train broke down, they simply attached two long intercity trains together on the next departure for the scheduled train and cancelled train, and this is doable because the platforms were able to cope with it. They had slack to be able to run special double long trains.
The French decided to improve their railways by building entirely new railways and thereby expanding capacity. They also built a number of commuter and suburban railways to expand capacity at mainline railway station (e.g. RER). This allowed for the French to cope with expanding passenger usage AND allow it keep significant room/slack for special situations.
The Germans decided to replace certain parts of track and improve existing infrastructure, but rising passenger use created a over saturated infrastructure and no room for slack.
And I think something to point out is that while most of the problems in Germany seem to be related to excessive delays, most problems in the UK seem to be outright cancellations. This is probably because frequencies tend to be higher in the UK meaning that catching the next train isn't so outrageous, whereas in Germany the frequencies tend to be lower but routes more numerous.
My parents are travelling from London to Munich today via Brussels.
ICE Brussels to Frankfurt cancelled. They take Thalys 1 hour later to Koln.
ICE they are now on leaving Koln 10 mins late, depsite only starting 30 mins up the line in Dusseldorf and due to 'switch repairs' cannot use high speed line to Frankfurt so currently crawling somewhere along the way to Frankfurt. Supposed to arrive Munich 1.5hours late and I am sure it will end up being much later.
Last time they tried the same journey, starting in Brussels, they had similar long delays. I honestly don't know why they don't fly. DBahn is utterly unreliable (and I have several experiences from business trips of long delays)
ICE Brussels to Frankfurt cancelled. They take Thalys 1 hour later to Koln.
ICE they are now on leaving Koln 10 mins late, depsite only starting 30 mins up the line in Dusseldorf and due to 'switch repairs' cannot use high speed line to Frankfurt so currently crawling somewhere along the way to Frankfurt. Supposed to arrive Munich 1.5hours late and I am sure it will end up being much later.
Last time they tried the same journey, starting in Brussels, they had similar long delays. I honestly don't know why they don't fly. DBahn is utterly unreliable (and I have several experiences from business trips of long delays)
YorkshireBear
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I have booked Thalys for Köln in a few weeks going out but ICE coming back. For me for now the answer seems to be book Thalys for that section. Once in Germany, while there are plenty of delays, I found there is enough duplication to avoid too much stress.
On a recent trip, going out to Europe our ICE to Frankfurt was cancelled, coming back it was on time bang on the whole way, but the one before and two of the afternoon ones were cancelled.
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