Mandatory reservations on ICE services Netherlands - Germany this summer

[DanielB]

During the peak of the summer holidays international travellers on the ICE (between the Netherlands and Germany) will require, besides a valid ticket, a seat reservation to be able to travel. NS takes this measure together with DB to prevent that the popularity of this service leads to uncomfortable situations. The mandatory seat reservations apply to all cross-border journeys on the ICE this summer. Also Interrail/Eurail passholders will be able to travel by ICE this summer, providing they purchased a seat reservation.

Source (in Dutch)

Seat reservations will be mandatory from the 17th of June till the 18th of August and are automatically added free of charge when booking a ticket as of today.
As of the end of 2024, the first ICE3neo trains will run into the Netherlands, which will enable longer trains and higher frequencies where needed.

 

[Mike395]

That was always going to be the sensible solution with the limitations on internationally-compatible stock availability DB are currently dealing with - barring passholders from cross-border ICE services (making them buy full-price tickets) is a nonstarter, and would just overload the regional alternative, plus the Berlin route, even more than it's going to already.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Yep, not ideal, but the best choice in the circumstances.

 

[dutchflyer]

and would just overload the regional alternative, plus the Berlin route, even more than it's going to already.

It seems, as I kind of recall what have read elsewhere, its rather the other way around, as they also expect more pax via this line due to works->extended traveltime etc. on the Berlin trains-making all planners will then show this routing, change Duisburg (its being started to renovate-but still is easily one of the very worst/ugliest stations anywhere in Germany) to this ICE. The regional link is RE19, still announced as being Abellio (the NS-dutch venture out of NL-slowly being given up everywhere), but actually VIAS will likely get many more curious pax as the new german 49€/Mo season will also be valid all the way.
DB has already started to have the preciously few ICE-2 country sets mostly ride/curtailed on that route and not as far as Switzerland-where normal german sets can also do.
Myself currently halfway on a 2-month INterrail (and yet another utter surprised CFR conductor in Romania today)-the app will show if REServ is needed and for many this is a turn-off-you can set the app planner to ways without RES-and then the slower regional trains will show up. Here in ROM its more the waiting time and effort as the cost of such a RES-5 RON= about 1€/gbp.

 

[DanielB]

The regional link is RE19, still announced as being Abellio (the NS-dutch venture out of NL-slowly being given up everywhere), but actually VIAS

The departure boards in the Netherlands where altered long ago, displaying a VIAS-logo instead of an Abellio-logo.

And indeed, another measure is that ICE 104 and 105 will only run between Amsterdam and Frankfurt with a connecting 13-car ICE-4 set for the remainder of the journey to Basel this summer.
This frees up an ICE-3M set which will be used to provide additional capacity between Amsterdam and Düsseldorf.

Just like last year, the IC Amsterdam - Berlin is diverted via Münster this summer, adding 75-90 minutes delay on trips. And thus travelling to Berlin via Köln by ICE is faster, one of the reasons for the increased demand on the ICE.

 

[rvdborgt]

And indeed, another measure is that ICE 104 and 105 will only run between Amsterdam and Frankfurt with a connecting 13-car ICE-4 set for the remainder of the journey to Basel this summer.
This frees up an ICE-3M set which will be used to provide additional capacity between Amsterdam and Düsseldorf.

Where will this additional capacity be? ICE 224/225, replacing 104 and 105, will run with 2 trainsets only until Düsseldorf and will then continue with a single trainset to Frankfurt. ICE 105 will for large parts of the summer only start at Köln Hbf. So it's similar capacity, only in some periods, at best.

 

[Fragezeichnen]

My understanding is there is no extra capacity planned, the purpose of the change is to allow more time for maintainence of the ageing and notoriously unreliable BR406 fleet.

 

[popeter45]

My understanding is there is no extra capacity planned, the purpose of the change is to allow more time for maintainence of the ageing and notoriously unreliable BR406 fleet.

yea the 406's are so bad that when i plan any uk-germany via brussels i always plan around backup options like next ICE/thalys or the local trains via Welkenreadt
hopefully the Neo's help