Every year over the Pentecost weekend, many regional trains, especially to holiday regions such as the coast and the mountains, are packed. But this year, travelers with a 9-euro ticket were added. These are valid in June, July and August and allow unlimited travel on local and regional buses and trains throughout Germany for one month.
This led to sometimes chaotic conditions on platforms and in trains over the past weekend. Due to congestion, many travelers could not ride. In several cases, trains would even have to be evacuated.
Frustrated passengers who were abandoned bought much more expensive tickets in order to reach their destination on time with one of the IC or ICE trains, where the 9-euro ticket is not valid.
Longer trains and additional journeys in regional traffic are hardly possible due to the tense situation of Deutsche Bahn. Also, there aren’t enough staff; the company is desperately looking for new employees.
Taking bicycles on many routes proved to be particularly difficult on the Pentecost weekend. “Passengers and bikes often can’t keep up, or if they do, then only with bruises and bruises,” says the Pro Bahn passenger association. “You imagined life to the fullest differently.”
Take a look at the following series of photos on the subject: