Overview

• The family flat-rate reservation will end June 15, requiring each passenger—including children—to book individual seats at €5.50 in second class and €6.90 in first class.
• The change affects roughly 5 percent of long-distance travellers, representing about 6.7 million passengers annually.
• Deutsche Bahn cites its €1.8 billion loss in 2024 and the S3 cost-reduction programme as reasons for making seat-reservation pricing economically viable.
• Politicians from CDU/CSU, SPD, Greens and Linke have condemned the move for burdening families and risking an image loss.
• A petition by the Verkehrsclub Deutschland has gathered more than 4,500 signatures opposing the decision.