By: ELFAC Newsletter
“The new reservation fees will hit families with many children disproportionately hard. With five children, the reservation costs for one journey will increase by more than +270% from €20.80 to €77.00,” explains Dr Elisabeth Müller, Chairwoman of the German Association of Large Families (KRFD), on the announced cancellation of family reservations with Deutsche Bahn.
For families with three or more children, a joint seat reservation is indispensable – for safety, predictability and less stress – for all travellers. ‘It affects all families; however, it hits those with three or more children disproportionately hard,’ says Dr Müller. “Anyone travelling with several children needs reliable, cohesive spaces. This is not a question of comfort, but of reasonableness.
The railway was long considered to be family-friendly for several children – but the Wuermeling Pass was abolished back in 1999, and the special service hotline for large families to book tickets and seats was cancelled without replacement last year.
Detlef Neuß, Federal Chairman of the passenger association Pro Bahn e.V., also sharply criticised the announcement: “This is unrealistic and hostile to customers. Anyone who wants to persuade people to switch to the railway must not put the brakes on families. They are the future rail customers. The change on 15 June – i.e. directly before the summer holidays – is also far too short notice. Travelling families are being caught off guard. As the owner of DB AG, the German government is called upon to take corrective action here and possibly counter-finance the retention of the original costs.”
The association is calling on Deutsche Bahn to withdraw the change immediately:
“The railway should not plug its financial holes by making cuts at the expense of families. If this does not happen, the federal government should urgently endeavour to intervene politically. Politicians must not stand idly by and watch this dismantling of family-friendly measures. Those who want to strengthen families should urgently act now and put an end to this madness,” demand the chairmen.