The possibility of reinstating family reservations on Deutsche Bahn (German Rail) services appears to have been shelved, at least for the immediate future. Following a recent debate surrounding the transportation budget, SPD (Social Democratic Party) parliamentarian Uwe Schmidt, chair of the federal financing committee, proposed revisiting the issue and engaging with the rail company’s management. This suggestion was met with applause from within the SPD parliamentary group.
However, a spokesperson for Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) indicated that the matter falls under Deutsche Bahn’s operational business, signaling the minister’s reluctance to intervene. The spokesperson reiterated that Deutsche Bahn is considered a family-friendly provider, despite the current policy.
The elimination of family reservations has resulted in parents needing to purchase individual reservations for their children when travelling in long-distance services to guarantee seating together. This change has also been accompanied by price increases for those individual reservations, potentially adding up to €17.10 per direction. The policy change has prompted widespread dissatisfaction, evidenced by petitions having accumulated nearly 170,000 digital signatures advocating for the reinstatement of family reservations.
