Overview

• The transport advocacy group handed roughly 128,000 names to Deutsche Bahn, pressing for the family reservation to return on long‑distance trains.
• The option, scrapped in mid‑June, had allowed up to five people to reserve seats for a €10.40 flat fee.
• Typical costs have risen, with a four‑person round trip now incurring about €44 in extra reservation charges.
• Deutsche Bahn defends the change, citing low uptake of the family offer at about 5% of long‑distance travelers and noting children up to 14 still travel free with adults.
• New CEO Evelyn Palla has said reinstating the family reservation is currently not planned, leaving the outcome uncertain despite pressure tied to the transport minister’s customer agenda.