9

I had an ICE train cancelled where I had the super sparpreis ticket.

The app shows me current alternatives. Does this mean I can get on the alternatives without any further ado or do I have to go to a DB Reisezentrum and get a alternative ticket issued? The alternatives take me through a different S bahn and RB connection via a different city ( Wurzburg) but to make it to the same connection of an ICE at Goettingen.

There's very little time so if I go to the Reisezentrum I probably will miss the alternative suggested by the app.

Improve this question

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
21

Yes, you can take the alternative. Die "Zugbindung" (requirement to take a specific train) is voided if any of your booked trains is cancelled or unreasonably delayed. Then you can take any train on the same day.

Little known fact: "Zugbindung" only applies to IC, ICE, EC (etc) anyway. Even if everything is on track you can take any S or RB Bahn you like on that day.

https://www.bahn.de/hilfe/view/pk/de/zugbindung.shtml https://www.refundrebel.com/zugbindung/

Improve this answer
5
  • 2
    It worked exactly so! The ticketcheckers did not even ask. Is the delay fed into the system and that's why they don't ask? I mean the alternative route didn't even touch the same stations.
    – curious_cat
    Commented Mar 28, 2022 at 17:37
  • 2
    @curious_cat Yes, they can look up the cancellaions and delays on their system, at least if the internet connection isn't down. Also, at least for major incidents that cause a couple of trains being significantly delayed or cancelled, the ticket checking personel just knows what's going on. More than once I tried to explain why I'm on the "wrong" train and they told me: "We know, nothing is OK on that route at the moment..."
    – Michael Karcher
    Commented Mar 28, 2022 at 21:56
  • 2
    In this case, "unreasonably delayed" means: Adhereing to the booked trains will make you be more then one hour late at the destination. The actual delay of the train might just be 10 minutes, but if that causes you to miss a connection you are free to go another route that arrives earlier than the next possibility on the originally planned route. If in doubt, take a screenshot of the App indicating "connection will likely be missed" in that case.
    – Michael Karcher
    Commented Mar 28, 2022 at 22:02
  • 1
    "You can take earlier or later regional trains than printed on your ticket" is perfectly true. But you should be aware that this applies only to parts of the trip that were originally planed on regional trains. Let's say you have a ticket Dortmund -> Cologne on an ICE, then Cologne -> Bonn on an IC and finally Bonn -> Remagen on a regional train (that actually starts in Cologne). You may take a later regional train from Bonn to Remagen, but that ticket doesn't allow to already board that regional train in Cologne (skipping the IC). You need to take that exact IC unless train binding is voided.
    – Michael Karcher
    Commented Mar 28, 2022 at 22:14
  • 6
    @MichaelKarcher The Zugbindung is already void, when you can expect a delay of 20 minutes at your destination (either because of delay, cancelled train etc., and if it's the fault of DB, not your own). The 1 hour is the threshold for compensation.
    – dunni
    Commented Mar 29, 2022 at 4:31

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .