Overview
- The ban takes effect on October 15 and will apply to roughly 5,400 stations that Deutsche Bahn controls, targeting station halls, platforms and other areas covered by its house rights.
- Restaurants and bars inside stations may still serve alcohol, passengers may carry sealed alcoholic drinks in luggage, and most on-board train services are not covered by the new rule.
- Deutsche Bahn will enforce the ban with station security, place bans and repeated-offence house bans and is rolling the measure out after months of local pilots.
- The company cites lower violence and less litter at pilot sites as its rationale and points to a rise in assaults on staff this year as a key reason for the policy.
- Unions and police have broadly welcomed the move but analysts say its impact will depend on staffing, cooperation with municipal authorities for some forecourts, and varying regional transport rules.