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The long-distance train provider FlixTrain wants to significantly expand its connections. In summer, capacities should be 40 percent higher than last year. Is this realistic? And who are the cheap trains attractive for?
Train travelers can look forward to more choice on the rails in the future. The long-distance train platform FlixTrain wants to significantly expand its offering in the coming weeks and months and, among other things, add additional connections on the Berlin-Cologne and Berlin-Frankfurt routes. “From now on, the long-distance train provider is gradually increasing its offering – and plans to achieve around 40 percent more capacity in the summer than in 2023,” the company announced today.
Dozens of new stops planned
In the future, the entire offer will include more than 150 stops throughout Germany. The expansion also includes the resumption of the route between Berlin and Mainz, which could not be offered for a long time due to construction work. “We see enormous demand for an alternative rail offer,” said Flix co-founder André Schwämmlein.
Dozens of additional stops will therefore be added to existing connections. In addition, the trains will now run six times a day between Berlin and the Rhineland instead of the current four times a day. The frequency between Berlin and Frankfurt will be increased from six to eight trips per day. In 2023, FlixTrain reduced the frequency and frequencies in some places due to the introduction of the Deutschlandticket.
Numerous passengers had used the cheap ticket as an alternative to the more expensive long-distance transport – and also boarded the train competitor Flixtrain less often. According to current figures from the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), every second holder of the 49 euro ticket is a permanent user who has had it continuously since the beginning. Meanwhile, demand for long-distance trains is also experiencing a real boom.
Trains two thirds full
Flix SE was founded in 2013 as the startup FlixBus in Munich. Originally it was known primarily for long-distance buses and gradually rose to become the market leader in Germany. Since 2018, Flix has also been offering train connections under the FlixTrain brand. The company does not operate its own vehicles – neither on the road nor on the rails – but instead cooperates with bus and train companies. Flix only arranges trips on its platform.
The company has been steadily expanding its rail offerings for several years now as Deutsche Bahn’s only major competitor in long-distance transport. FlixTrain now offers many daily connections between around 50 cities in Germany and Sweden – with a seat included at no extra charge. Flix does not publish specific passenger numbers on the trains. The utilization rate of the FlixTrains is around 65 percent, says a spokeswoman tagesschau.de with.
“The continuous expansion of the FlixTrain connections speaks for the acceptance of the offer among customers,” says Dirk Flege, Managing Director of the Allianz pro Schiene association tagesschau.de. Since long-distance passenger rail transport in Germany, unlike local transport, is operated independently, expansion must ultimately be economically viable.
Less suitable for traveling on specific dates
However, long-distance transport in this country is still dominated by Deutsche Bahn – by far. According to the Federal Network Agency, Deutsche Bahn’s market share in long-distance transport was 96 percent in 2022. According to the federally owned company, more than 140 million people traveled on its long-distance trains in 2023. For comparison: At Flix, the number of passengers across Europe was 55 million last year – including both travelers on long-distance buses and on long-distance trains.
However, the Pro Bahn passenger association refers to different target groups. “FlixTrain is a good offer in the lower price segment. It is often used by people on a budget – especially for tourist trips,” says Federal Chairman Detlef Neuß in an interview tagesschau.de. If a possible delay is not a big problem – such as when traveling with the bowling club or football team – the usually slightly older and slower trains, which often use less busy routes, are a good alternative to the train.
But whether FlixTrain is suitable for business purposes and for time-critical appointments is another matter, says Neuß. In addition to the often longer journey time, there is also no on-board restaurant, which is understandable given the low prices. “FlixTrain does not want to compete with a higher-quality ICE Sprinter from Cologne to Berlin, but is more comparable to an IC,” emphasizes the expert.
On-time rate is around 78 percent
With the expanded route network, passengers may also have fewer problems with delays or cancellations. If a FlixTrain is delayed by more than an hour, travelers can only use another FlixTrain or a FlixBus with their ticket. You are not allowed to change to Deutsche Bahn trains in the event of cancellations. The additional costs for a DB ticket will only be reimbursed if the passenger is not informed of the available options for onward travel within 100 minutes.
According to FlixTrain’s quality report, operational disruptions were the main reasons for complaints from customers. There were a total of around 42,000 complaints and requests for reimbursement in the 2022 reporting year. Traveler punctuality increased slightly. Nevertheless, only 78.1 percent of FlixTrain passengers reached their destination with a maximum or less than 15 minute delay.
As justification, FlixTrain repeatedly refers to infrastructure disruptions, i.e. the ailing rail network, which is operated by the wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, DB InfraGO AG. “The reliability of the FlixTrain trains, like that of the ICEs, suffers from the many construction sites in the rail network and the general condition of the network that needs to be improved,” says Allianz pro Schiene managing director Flege.
FlixTrain dependent on Deutsche Bahn
In addition, according to Neuß, FlixTrains also have to wait more often in order to allow delayed Deutsche Bahn ICE trains to arrive. “The dispatchers have a so-called order of importance, which trains are more important and where delays are acceptable.” FlixTrains, for example, are ranked higher than local trains, but below ICs and ICEs, according to the federal chairman of Pro Bahn. Officially there should be no discrimination, but in reality things are often different – simply because of the different speeds of the trains.
Flege, on the other hand, calls the unequal treatment of trains a narrative: “Legally, neither long-distance nor local trains from other providers may be discriminated against by DB InfraGO AG.” As an operator of the rail infrastructure, the company is obliged to allow competing offers onto the network if there are free routes. This legal requirement is largely consistent with practice. “There are only occasional complaints,” says Flege.
Nevertheless, the experts agree that the expansion of the FlixTrain offering depends not only on the necessary staff and the number of trains, but also on the route allocation and the modernization of the network by Deutsche Bahn. “If there are delays in the maintenance of the network, this will logically also delay operations – which would also affect FlixTrain,” explains Neuß.