Long-term delays and cancellations put many people off rail travel. But those who are traveling on the train with a wheelchair, a pram or with a dog have completely different problems.
When Justin Drescher is waiting for the train on the platform, the punctuality of Deutsche Bahn is not always his biggest problem. Rather, he asks himself the question: Can he ride at all? “It becomes problematic in long-distance traffic because the trains – especially Intercity or Intercity Express, ICE – are simply high,” says Drescher.
The entrance to many ICE trains is around forty centimeters above the edge of the platform. That means: Drescher needs a lift and service staff to get on the train with a wheelchair. “That means I can’t somehow stand up at the station and give the engine driver a sign: Hello, I want to ride here. They then say, Great, how should we do that?”
Spontaneous trips not desired
Justin Drescher cannot travel spontaneously anyway. Deutsche Bahn recommends registering each trip by the evening before. By law, the company is actually obliged to make so-called spontaneous trips possible.
And if he then misses his connecting train because of a delay, he has to discuss it with the train staff, says Drescher: “Then I arrive late at a station, I want to get on the connecting train, and then I get one from the train attendant or the train driver on the cover because I allegedly didn’t register my trip.”
“Not tailored to needs”
Last year, Deutsche Bahn provided around 740,000 aids of this kind, i.e. around 2,000 per day. Verena Bentele, President of the VdK social association, criticizes the fact that the railway was not planned without barriers from the start.
“And so, for people who use strollers as parents, or for people who need wheelchairs, or for people who cannot see, travel will always only be possible with some adjustments, and travel is not tailored to their needs from the start “, says the VdK President.
It is important to have strict accessibility commitments so that people can feel like a natural part of society – and not a disruptive factor.
Little space for the stroller
Traveling by train and with a stroller can also pose difficulties for families. There is a compartment especially for small children with space to play; however, there is usually not enough space in the other places on the train to park the pram.
Some places on the edge are suitable for this, but also for wheelchairs. In the end, families compete with people with restricted mobility.
And another group of Deutsche Bahn customers needs more space: travelers with dogs. Nothing is easy here either – it starts with the purchase of a dog ticket. It costs half the regular fare. This ticket can be bought online in a new Deutsche Bahn app, the so-called “Next-DB-Navigator”; in the normal booking app of the railway – the old “DB Navigator” – but not.
Dogs as a disruptive factor on the train?
Lea Schmitz from the German Animal Welfare Association has the impression that Deutsche Bahn might want to keep the number of dogs limited “and sees them as a certain disruptive factor and perhaps secretly hopes that not too many dog owners will come up with the idea of traveling with their animals”.
On request, Deutsche Bahn writes that dogs are very welcome, and that the train transports 100,000 dogs on long-distance journeys every year. However: Despite the ticket, dogs are not entitled to a place. That’s why Deutsche Bahn recommends that dog owners book trains that are less busy.
Less than five percent of passengers travel with children
Last year, more than 130 million people took the train – just six million had their children with them. That is less than five percent of the passengers. One reason for this could be that there are few family-friendly seats on the train and these are often booked out well in advance, says Andreas Schröder. He is spokesman for the Pro Bahn passenger association and is a father himself.
Deutsche Bahn AG rejected a request for an interview. The group states in writing that it is making great efforts to enable travelers with restricted mobility to travel independently.
“You also want to get out, you want to experience something,” says wheelchair user Justin Drescher. He emphasizes how important unrestricted travel is to him. “But as soon as it comes to the subject of trains and the question of how to get there, you almost lose interest.”
Plusminus reported on this topic in the first on June 28, 2023 at 9:45 p.m.