Set regional trains with Sparpreis fares

[A S Leib]

I'm double-checking to make sure I've understood the DB website correctly; for Sparpreis tickets, are there not any fixed times for regional services? I'll be travelling with somebody using a Super Sparpreis fare from Aachen to Mannheim.

My currently planned itinerary includes

12:07 Welkenraedt – 12:22 Aachen Hbf
13:51 Aachen Hbf – 14:44 Köln Hbf
14:53 Köln Hbf – 17:54 Mannheim Hbf

There's places I'd enjoy spending an hour and a half much less than Aachen, but I'm not confident that I could make a nine minute connection at Köln Hbf with somebody with luggage and less familiar with the station, especially if the train from Aachen is delayed and the Mannheim train, starting from Köln, isn't, so I'd ideally get the train before.

P.S. Engineering works between Aachen and Stolberg seem to have finished by today as scheduled, so won't be an issue.

 

[Porty]

I'm double-checking to make sure I've understood the DB website correctly; for Sparpreis tickets, are there not any fixed times for regional services? I'll be travelling with somebody using a Super Sparpreis fare from Aachen to Mannheim.

My currently planned itinerary includes

12:07 Welkenraedt – 12:22 Aachen Hbf
13:51 Aachen Hbf – 14:44 Köln Hbf
14:53 Köln Hbf – 17:54 Mannheim Hbf

There's places I'd enjoy spending an hour and a half much less than Aachen, but I'm not confident that I could make a nine minute connection at Köln Hbf with somebody with luggage and less familiar with the station, especially if the train from Aachen is delayed and the Mannheim train, starting from Köln, isn't, so I'd ideally get the train before.

P.S. Engineering works between Aachen and Stolberg seem to have finished by today as scheduled, so won't be an issue.

Can't answer the question I'm afraid but you could always adjust the connection time on the DB planner to give yourself a few more minutes (up to 40 or so from memory).

 

[Bletchleyite]

Generally regional trains aren't fixed on these, if you already have the ticket you can check the Via field - it will contain a train number e.g. IC1234 if you're restricted by that train, if it just contains NV (Nahverkehr - local transport) or geographical locations you just need to follow a route staying within those bounds but are not time restricted. Break of journey restrictions are not a thing in Germany as such though most shorter distance tickets are only valid one day with no overnight break allowed (longer distance ones are I think two days) - edit: I didn't know "one day" extended to 10am the next day so you may want to check that.

 

[The exile]

I'm double-checking to make sure I've understood the DB website correctly; for Sparpreis tickets, are there not any fixed times for regional services? I'll be travelling with somebody using a Super Sparpreis fare from Aachen to Mannheim.

My currently planned itinerary includes

12:07 Welkenraedt – 12:22 Aachen Hbf
13:51 Aachen Hbf – 14:44 Köln Hbf
14:53 Köln Hbf – 17:54 Mannheim Hbf

There's places I'd enjoy spending an hour and a half much less than Aachen, but I'm not confident that I could make a nine minute connection at Köln Hbf with somebody with luggage and less familiar with the station, especially if the train from Aachen is delayed and the Mannheim train, starting from Köln, isn't, so I'd ideally get the train before.

P.S. Engineering works between Aachen and Stolberg seem to have finished by today as scheduled, so won't be an issue.

For future reference - there are no fixed times for regional services on Soar or Supersparpreis tickets - though if it’s after the IV / ICE element you’ve got to complete your journey by 10.00am the following day.

 

[A S Leib]

Thank you. The Verbindung says

IC 1946, 14:53 Uhr am –.06.2026
Via: <1080>K*(TROI/BN*REM)*KO*(F*DA/MZ)

With no mention of Aachen.

As it's a single ticket, presumably there'd be no issues with getting ICE 109 (if sufficiently delayed, as it's due to leave Köln a minute after the one booked), ICE 1011 from Messe/Deutz or whichever service turns out to be the quickest if getting the 13:51 from Aachen and missing the 14:53 due to delays? That wouldn't be a massive inconvenience beyond the loss of use of seat reservations if so due to how much slower the Rhine route is.

 

[The exile]

Thank you. The Verbindung says

With no mention of Aachen.

As it's a single ticket, presumably there'd be no issues with getting ICE 109 (if sufficiently delayed, as it's due to leave Köln a minute after the one booked), ICE 1011 from Messe/Deutz or whichever service turns out to be the quickest if getting the 13:51 from Aachen and missing the 14:53 due to delays? That wouldn't be a massive inconvenience beyond the loss of use of seat reservations if so due to how much slower the Rhine route is.

I think in those circumstances you’d have to get your ticket endorsed either by the guard on your Aachen -Koeln train or at Koeln when you arrive. I wouldn’t risk such a short connection at Koeln especially if you’re unfamiliar with the place (not that the station is complex, but it is busy!)
Don’t know how often the cross border locals now run, but that’s causing any difficulties with getting to Aachen earlier, there’s the local bus (14?) from Eupen.

 

[A S Leib]

I think in those circumstances you’d have to get your ticket endorsed either by the guard on your Aachen -Koeln train or at Koeln when you arrive. I wouldn’t risk such a short connection at Koeln especially if you’re unfamiliar with the place (not that the station is complex, but it is busy!)

I know that the train restriction would go away in case of delays of 20+ minutes; the bits I'm unsure of are whether that only applies if the DB Fernverkehr bit is delayed, if the regional service is delayed by less than 20 minutes but means missing a connection, or if the originally booked service being slower via Koblenz would make a difference. I'd agree that asking for ticket endorsement probably is the best option if delayed.

 

[rvdborgt]

As soon as the expected delay at your destination is at least 20 minutes, then you can use other trains without any formalities. From that moment, you effectively have a flexible ticket. It does not matter which train is/was delayed or caused your connection to fail and what the cause for any delay or cancellation was.

 

[Mirjamsterdam]

It does apply in all those cases. That’s why some Deutschlandticket holders include stretches on regional trains when they book Sparpreis tickets, even though they could save some money by using their Deutschlandticket for that part of the journey.

I know that the train restriction would go away in case of delays of 20+ minutes; the bits I'm unsure of are whether that only applies if the DB Fernverkehr bit is delayed, if the regional service is delayed by less than 20 minutes but means missing a connection, or if the originally booked service being slower via Koblenz would make a difference. I'd agree that asking for ticket endorsement probably is the best option if delayed.

 

[The exile]

As soon as the expected delay at your destination is at least 20 minutes, then you can use other trains without any formalities. From that moment, you effectively have a flexible ticket. It does not matter which train is/was delayed or caused your connection to fail and what the cause for any delay or cancellation was.

The issue though with a 9 minute connection at a major station is that it doesn't take much delay to get you into that "grey area" where it is still perfectly possible to make the connection - but because you have luggage / are stuck behind someone elderly and slow when getting off / don't know the layout of the station / happen to get off as far from the stairs as it's possible to be, you miss it. Though, if the minimum connection time at Köln Hbf has not changed since 1989 (I happen to have a paper timetable!), when it was 8 minutes, almost any delay to the Aachen train would trigger the removal of the "booked train only", but for my own peace of mind, I'd personally be looking at getting to Köln earlier

 

[30907]

I'm double-checking to make sure I've understood the DB website correctly; for Sparpreis tickets, are there not any fixed times for regional services? I'll be travelling with somebody using a Super Sparpreis fare from Aachen to Mannheim.

My currently planned itinerary includes

12:07 Welkenraedt – 12:22 Aachen Hbf
13:51 Aachen Hbf – 14:44 Köln Hbf
14:53 Köln Hbf – 17:54 Mannheim Hbf

Nothing to stop your friend (and you) leaving Aachen earlier,the train-specific leg is the IC.