German Rail Hikes Seat Reservation Prices for Families, Draws Flak
Enhanced Fee for Seat Reservation Imposed by German Rail for Families - Price hike for family seat reservations by Deutsche Bahn
German Rail is stirring up controversy with its new pricing policy, set to take effect from June 15th. Second-class seat reservations for long-distance trains will jump from the previous €5.20 to €5.50. Shockingly, the family reservation, allowing families to secure seats for all members at a flat €10.40 rate, is being axed. This means families with kids now have to dig deep, shelling out €22 (up from €10.40) for a round trip since everyone will have to purchase individual seat reservations. One-class up, first class reservations will inch up from €6.50 to €6.90. Interestingly, seat reservations are still included in the flexible first-class tickets package.
German Rail maintains that the family reservation was merely the equivalent of two individual seat reservations, with no pricing modifications for solo travelers with one child. However, the family reservation only offered benefits when there were three or more travelers.
Last year, 5% of long-distance travelers buffered themselves with the family reservation, equating to around 6.7 million passengers out of the total 133.4 million long-distance travelers with German Rail.
German Rail Slammed for Price Hike
The ecological transport club (VCD) blasted this move, with chairwoman Kerstin Haarmann asserting, "Families with kids are already under enough financial strain, and now they're facing a de facto price increase. German Rail needs to focus on making services more affordable rather than slashing discount options."
Matthias Gastel, a Green politician, vehemently denounced this as a "massive increase in hidden costs." He further added, "German Rail's long-distance service is in a sorry state, plagued with poor punctuality values, exorbitant ticket prices, and subpar offers."
Even Greenpeace slammed the decision, with traffic expert Lena Donat claiming, "German Rail seems intent on pushing families into their cars." She continued, "If a four-person family has to pay €44 just for seat reservations, that's more than many cars would consume in fuel over 400 kilometers."
The chairwoman of the German Social Association, Michaela Engelmeier, acknowledged, "Every additional financial burden makes it harder, especially for households with limited means, to opt for a greener train ride."
Recent surveys suggest that passengers are fed up with the less-than-stellar cleanliness, frequent delays, and less-than-promised services provided by German Rail. The controversy surrounding the price hike for family seat reservations is just another bump in the rocky road the rail service is currently navigating.
See above in the image gallery: Too dirty, too little, too late: German Rail is struggling to meet passenger expectations - a breakdown of what irks passengers the most, according to a survey. The latest on trains, buses, and cars.
- German Rail
- Seat Reservation
- Seat
- Long-Distance Train
- VCD
- Family Reservation
- Children
- Matthias Gastel
- European Committee (EC) countries should consider the impact of the German Rail seat reservation price hike on vocational training opportunities for young adults, as many families may no longer be able to afford train travel, thus limiting their ability to visit industry-related facilities or vocational training centers.
- Amidst struggles within the transportation sector, notably the increased seat reservation prices by German Rail, it is crucial for public finance to consider supporting affordable solutions such as subsidies for public-transit, particularly for families and students, to encourage and ensure accessibility to vocational training institutions located within different cities and regions.
