Nine-euro ticket: First confusion about validity - filter function in the app is not enough
Created: 05/27/2022, 05:41 am
By: Bettina Menzel, Christoph Gschoßmann
white or red?
A crucial question before traveling with the 9-euro ticket © Kay Nietfeld/dpa
The nine-euro ticket is valid from June - but the validity is already a mystery in various ways.
The passenger association criticized the train.
According to the company, Deutsche Bahn has already sold more than one million nine-euro tickets.
Meanwhile, questions about the validity of the tickets are increasing.
Are all trains usable with regional train tickets included?
Apparently it's not that clear yet.
The Pro Bahn passenger association has therefore asked Deutsche Bahn to better communicate the validity of the nine-euro ticket.
Nine-euro ticket "valid on all trains that are not white"
Deutsche Bahn offers the option “Local transport only” on its website and in the app when searching for trains.
But now it is known: Setting this filter is not enough to be on the road with the nine-euro ticket.
Determining which trains can be used with the ticket is therefore not that easy.
With the discounted ticket, you can travel
on all purely regional trains, but not on long-distance trains
,
some of which can also be used as regional trains
, explained Pro-Bahn honorary president Karl-Peter Naumann to the
editorial network Germany (RND) on Thursday.
Train drivers can therefore use DB Regio regional trains with the nine-euro ticket
, but not DB long-distance regional trains.
So when looking for a ticket, it helps to first select “Only local transport” and then click on the “More information” tab under “Show details”.
There it is noted who the operator of the connection is:
DB regional or DB long-distance.
If you still don't know your way around the jungle of tariffs, you can always look at the trains: "
The ticket is valid on all trains that are not white,
" explains railway specialist Naumann.
DB long-distance trains, for example, usually have white carriages with red stripes - a classic example of this is the IC or ICE.
However, regional trains are mostly red.
The pro-Bahnler Naumann criticizes that the identification of trains in the Bahn app, among other things, must be clearer in order to avoid misunderstandings.
Nine-euro ticket discussion on Twitter: "It can be fun"
There are already discussions about this on Twitter.
"It can be fun.
DB is now redesignating regional trains on which the nine-euro ticket is not valid," writes a user with a screenshot of the DB app.
"Sorry, you still don't seem to understand that outside the bubble nobody knows the difference between DB FV and DB Regio.
And in particular those who are supposed to be attracted by the ticket.
There will be a lot of frustration," predicts a Twitter user, adding: "You can't just blame politics for it."
Would it be an option to simply extend the ticket to long-distance trains?
That doesn't make sense, even the passenger association says: "The restriction is understandable.
The long-distance trains have to be on time because, for example, holidaymakers have to use them to reach ferry connections," said the honorary president of the passenger association.
If there is a rush of passengers on these trains with the discounted tickets, this punctuality is in danger.
"That would make things worse."
Nine-euro ticket "not well thought out", but the responsibility lies with the passengers
According to Naumann, the debate once again shows that the nine-euro ticket was "not well thought out".
In fact, this regulation is not very user-friendly.
Nevertheless, the responsibility remains with the passengers.
If you board the wrong train with a nine-euro ticket, you might have to pay 60 euros for fare evasion during a check.
It is therefore worth taking a close look when choosing a train.
The nine-euro ticket is part of the relief package for citizens that the federal government has launched to cushion the enormous increase in energy costs.
The ticket should be valid for nine euros per month nationwide on public transport for the period June, July and August.
It is already available in advance.
(cg with AFP)
There's one thing you shouldn't forget on your trip with the nine-euro ticket - otherwise it can get expensive.
