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Deutsche Bahn delay notification

Hello all - I received a delay notification from Deutsche Bahn today and I'm unsure of what further action I need to take - if any.

I have a trip booked from Dresden Hbf to Cochem on Monday, May 26. The Mainz-Koblenz and Koblenz-Cochem portion of the trip has been changed to different train numbers and times. I am fine with the itinerary changes, so is there anything further I need to do? Will Deutsche Bahn automatically transfer our ticket to the new itinerary? My online ticket still lists the old train information. We booked the ticket as a savings fare.

Please let me know if there is anything I need to do to secure the ticket. I appreciate your help!

Posted by
16895 posts

Without seeing the text of the notification, I would still feel fairly confident that you can arrive at the new train with both the original tickets and the new email in hand. Is it only in German?

Posted by
27 posts

Hello Laura,

The text of the email is in English, but it doesn't really spell out what I need to do - if anything. To summarize, the email states that there was a schedule change and asks that I refer to the new timetable for information on my connection. Further down, it provides a link to information on ticket validity and reservations, the text of which is pasted below.

"If the connection you booked is no longer possible (either the train or the station stop have been cancelled), you can change your journey to another train. You can also do this if arrival at your destination is expected to be delayed by at least 20 minutes. You can then take the next available service on the same route or continue on another route, or continue your journey at a later time if this would reduce the delay of your arrival at your destination station, or use another service (i.e. a train not requiring a compulsory reservation ( no ICE - Sprinter, CityNightLine etc.))"

The train numbers and times from Mainz-Koblenz and Koblenz-Cochem changed which will delay our arrival in Cochem by about 1 hour. I just want to be certain that the ticket I printed out will be valid, even though the connection info has changed. I'd hate to begin my adventure in Cochem with a visit from the Bahn police:)

Posted by
12040 posts

Those are not ICE routes, so you should be fine.

Posted by
19276 posts

What are the train numbers on the ticket for Mainz to Koblenz and from Koblenz to Cochem. If they are RE or RB (or MRB), you are fine. Those trains are not specific with a Savings Fare, ie, you can use any regional trains that day to get to your destination. Only express trains (ICE/IC/EC) are specific for a Savings Fare ticket.

Did you register with the Bahn? If you did, you should be able to go on the website and retrieve another copy of the ticket. If they have updated the trains, print it.

I just put in Dresden to Cochem, and all the routes I find have an IC or EC from Mainz to Koblenz. If your ticket does, go to the Bahn window in Dresden (or earlier) and show them your eTicket and the delay notice. They'll check it on their schedule and fix it (probaby just put a notation and a stamp on the ticket).

Posted by
27 posts

Hello Lee - I believe you've answered my question. My original ticket had us on the EC 8 from Mainz-Koblenz and the RE 12016 from Koblenz-Cochem.

According to the new timetable our connections will be the RE 4288 from Mainz-Koblenz and the RB 12234 from Koblenz to Cochem.

I'll keep looking in my bahn.com account to see if an updated ticket populates and as a last resort, I'll check at the DB counter in Dresden.

I really appreciate your help. We depart the U.S. on Thursday and I'm frantically tying up all loose ends. Vielen Dank!

Posted by
19276 posts

There is a clause on the ticket where the trains are specified called Vor-/und Nach-Lauf (before and after travel) that says that you can use any regional trains on the specified regional routes as long as you use the specified trains of the Bahn (ICE/IC/EC). Someone once suggested that that mean that if you missed a specified Bahn train you could continue your trip on regional trains. I reviewed the AGB (conditions of carriage) and decided that only the specified Bahn trains were valid, but I never confirmed that with the Bahn. If it were true, your ticket would allow you to make the train substitutions without question, but I'm not ready to tell you to do that.