In the corona crisis she had Deutsche Bahn has experienced an unprecedented slump in passenger numbers. Up to 90 percent fewer passengers used their offers, especially ICEs seemed like ghost trains on some days. But since that Corona restrictions relaxed more people are traveling by train again. So many that the group has to act now. According to information from SPIEGEL, the company wants to use its app, the train navigator, and the booking page to better control the flow of passengers so that there are no dangerous tight situations on the trains in the coming weeks.
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The rail app and the website have therefore been reprogrammed in the past few weeks so that users will soon be able to see trains with a load of 50 percent and more. This should give you the opportunity to access less frequented connections. This is to prevent people from traveling too tightly on the trains.
If the reservations continue to increase on a certain connection despite this warning, the app and the booking system on bahn.de will prevent this train from being booked and reserved in the future. This function should be activated in the coming days. SPIEGEL learned this from corporate circles.
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Disinfectant spray at train stations
The rail management initially decided against a general reservation obligation, which some transport politicians had requested in recent weeks. If you go to the station, you can still board a full train for which the app no longer sells a ticket or makes a reservation.
It will also be possible to reserve seats next to each other. However, those responsible decided to always keep one seat free for each traveler. This would have made it impossible for families to reserve side by side. Instead, the railways are relying on increased disinfection of the wagons. It even produces the appropriate means itself. Disinfection spray is also offered at the train stations. The railways had corresponding regulations announced last week.
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Management made an urgent recommendation to wear protective masks on the trains and in the station. In some states, mask wearing is even mandatory. But customers do not always follow this rule everywhere.
The Deutsche Bahn is also trying to use all its might to resist competition from the car, which many citizens consider to be an infectious travel option. Measures such as the app are intended to lure frightened customers back onto the trains. In addition, the range of trains is to be ramped up. Even at the height of Corona crisis the railroad had thinned out its schedule only to a small extent. In particular, trains were canceled on Fridays and Sundays, when the normal occupancy rate was high. This should be withdrawn again next week.
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The railways have suffered very high losses on empty trains in recent months. A deficit of over ten billion euros could arise by 2024. The Federal Minister of Transport had this at the beginning of the month Andreas Scheuer (CSU) opened.
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The Federal Government therefore wants to increase the equity capital of the railway and lift the current debt limit of around 25 billion euros so that the railway can get fresh money on the financial markets. However, savings in material and personnel expenses are also planned. The unions fear the layoff of 10,000 employees and have Resistance announced.
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