Overview

• From June 15, Deutsche Bahn will end its family reservation option and require every passenger, including children, to buy a seat reservation.
• The price for a seat reservation increases by €0.30 to €5.50 in second class and by €0.40 to €6.90 in first class.
• A family of four now faces €22 for one-way reservations and €44 for round trips instead of the former €10.40 flat rate.
• Deutsche Bahn says the change is needed to ensure ‘economically viable’ services within its S3 turnaround programme after a €1.8 billion 2024 loss and notes that only 5 percent of long-distance travellers used the family option.
• Politicians from CDU, SPD, Greens and Linke as well as groups including Pro Bahn, VCD, Greenpeace and the Sozialverband Deutschland warn higher fees risk driving families back to cars.