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Deutsche Bahn - Train cancelled - NEED HELP !

Hello,
We were booked for Vienna to Munich train RJX62 for Oct 18th and while checking the app today, it shows trip cancelled. I never received any email notification about this, it was just a coincidence that I was checking the app today. We were booked for a non stop 12:28 train on a first class with coach and seat reservations. The app gives the option to choose an alternative train some with transfers and one with non stop at later time (2:30 pm) along with cancellation. From what I understand we can travel on any train with the same ticket on that day, but does not gives me an option to now select a coach and seat for the next train. My concern is that someone else could have booked the seat if we just sit anywhere and might have to move few times if the seats are reserved by other passengers. The app does not give me an option to go early that day 10:30 am. Should we just cancel this trip and book a new one with the morning time or don't do anything and travel on any train that day. Can we travel on a earlier time or have to travel on a 12:30 pm or later trains since our hotel check out is 11 am. I do understand cancellation could mean I can loose some funds on the exchange cost.

Thank you !

Romal.

Posted by
446 posts

Maybe call Deutsche Bahn? Or use the website to make an inquiry?

Posted by
34 posts

Just checked on the app , it does not allow to cancel the trip and the compensation request can only be submitted after the journey. So I guess I don't have an option to cancel and book another one and just go on any other train on same day.

Posted by
7967 posts

This is a typical DB cancellation notice which aims to cause consternation and confusion. This was never a non stop train- it had 3 stops before Salzburg.

Looking at OBB the 1228 RJX62 is still running as far as Salzburg (Platform 3), arrive 1453. Change at Salzburg for the 1505 RE5 to Munich arrive 1706 from Platform 5.

This change is due to rail construction work.

The RE train is not reserveable- it is just a local train.

Both the 1228 and the 1428 RJX64 are through trains from Budapest.

Even if you had a sparscheine ticket the change of schedule means that your ticket is now valid on the RE connection (or any later RE connection)- they run hourly. Or even on the EuroCity EC216 from Salzburg at 1600, arrive Munich 1741.

Posted by
2507 posts

Are you in Vienna right now? The place is a in a state of emergency and it is currently not even know wether there will be train going to Munich in a few days time. OEBB has given out a travel warning and encourages everyone to stay at home. Your ticket is going to be accepted on alternative trains after the 19th.

So currently if you are in Vienna, just concentrate on staying safe. What, if any, trains will run on the 18th we will know on the 18th... Then just take whatever moves in the right direction.

Note: Situations like this is why I always advice to book train tickets with the railway you start your trip on. So in this case if you would have booked with OEBB your would probably habe gotten better info, as the situation is in Austria.
And you could have just gone to the station to sort things out.

Posted by
7967 posts

This journey is in October, not this month so hopefully the flooding situation will be resolved by then.

Posted by
34 posts

Thank you for the replies.
Isn31c- So from what I understand The journey from Vienna to Salzburg is still good for my RJX62, and now will need to take another train from Salzburg to Munich. By non-stop I meant it was a direct train from Vienna to Munch without changing any trains.
My trip is not until next month on 18th, so hopefully the flooding situation gets better.
The reason from booking from DB instead of ÖBB was the price, on ÖBB it was €200 per person and with DB I paid €80.
Can I still ride in 1st class from any train from Salzburg to Munich ?

Thank you!

Posted by
21188 posts

You have a 1st class ticket, you ride in a 1st class seat.

Posted by
7967 posts

Yes you have a first class ticket for the route so you can use it on the RE trains. Those have a small 16 seat 1st class section at one end of the train, first come first served. See here for details (scroll down to the BRB trains section)-

https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/munich-to-salzburg-by-train.htm

Booking through an Austrian website the cheaper train originally would have been on the 1208 Westbahn train to Munich (OBB's competitor). On 18 October that train is now being replaced with a bus between Salzburg and Munich.

As explained on the Man in Seat 61 site the cheapest way to do this journey is usually OBB or Westbahn to Salzburg, then a Bayern Day Ticket on the Regional train- yes you have to change in Salzburg.

Posted by
2507 posts

Missed that it was oct 18.

Train travel is mass transit. It is like riding the subway, but on nicer trains and over longer distances. And you are expected to not worry about details until closer to your travel date. !8 October is still more than a month away.

You are also expected to keep an eye on schedules yourself. So check again closer to your travel date, and know that you have a ticket, so you can travel. If not on the train you originally planned, then on another train. And you do not need to do anything. Your ticket is the proof you have paid for travel, so you can travel.

Posted by
91 posts

Just to let you know Wengerk that the line to talk with someone at the OBB office at the train station had 200 people in line just to get a number. Then you wait in another line to actually see someone. We gave up.

Posted by
21188 posts

Given the recent weather issues in Austria, not surprising.

Posted by
2507 posts

"Just to let you know Wengerk that the line to talk with someone at the OBB office at the train station had 200 people in line just to get a number. Then you wait in another line to actually see someone. We gave up."

Which is why I keep telling everyone that you do not need to do anything. Do not waste time waiting in line. Just get on a train. You have a ticket, you can ride. Don't overthink this.

Posted by
59 posts

This situation reminds me a lot of the one I was in, last year, in October, riding ...the Railjet (high speed train) from Vienna to Munich.
(your exact route)

Let's just say: the train I booked, with reserved seats, went....without us. I got email notices from OeBB (not DB in this case) but they turned out to be false. (that is, there was no problem, when they notified me twice by email, there were delays).

In that case: I did spend time patiently waiting at the travel reservation office (the one with the "take a number", wait for 100 people ahead of me while I nearly fainted from stress). And the representative just printed out all the options and connections for later trains. And told me to get on the next one.

The downside: the 4 hours to Munich (which extended to longer), because my seat reservations were gone, were miserable with constantly roaming the overpacked train, looking for a seat to sit in, having to stand between dirty bicycles and luggage, and not step on people crouched on the floor in the train. Which is not nice for my senior parents, who aren't really suited to having stand up or roam around or keep getting kicked out of their seat because the train came to a stop where there was a passenger getting on with a reservation. And trying to not fall out the door when there are so many passengers I am pressed up against the end of the car (with other passengers, and their luggage).

And when I got to the DB train connection, and changed trains at that station, the DB train sat there and was delayed 45 minutes. For no reason. (The German passengers asked the platform conductor and also got no reasons). But OK, I didn't care, because I could finally sit down.

So after the "trauma" of this:
(this is for the RailJet ticket...and you're on a 1st class)
a) you can get on another train
b) it could be crowded if your train got cancelled because everyone is getting on other trains who were supposed to get on the one you booked. If you can get reservations (seats) on another train, that might be helpful (? is that an option if your ticket is for a different time?) .
c) have patience. You're going on a OeBB train to a DB destination. Maybe...another notice will come through and the cancellation would be reserved, and the trip will be back "on " again? But be prepared that arrival in Munich could take longer than originally planned. (e.g. do not plan some tight scheduled activity that you have to arrive in Munich by a certain h:mm).

I do not have any illusions about "how wonderful high speed rail was from Vienna to Munich" is anymore. But it beats having to use airlines. I just adjusted my expectations.

Posted by
34 posts

kwidprokuo - Thanks for sharing your detailed experience. For now I know that our seats are reserved from Vienna to Salzburg in the RJX 62. Will need to figure out my onward journey from Salzburg to Munich. The regional train has a layover of 12 mins and Eurocity for 1 hour and since its Friday evening the trains could be busy due to weekend travel. I do have time to figure inquire more on this when I arrive in Salzburg on Oct 3rd. Not sure if I can just pay extra and only reserve the seats for the Eurocity since I already have the ticket to travel for that day, so that we don't to stand on a crowded train with our bags.

Thanks,

Posted by
34 posts

isn31c - Thank you ! Tried booking just the seats on DB App and desktop and it does not work, gives me error message. Have tried few times in the span of 8 hours. When I try to reserve the same on OBB app, it allows me to do it and the price is only 3 Euros as compared to 5.20 Euros on DB. I have not booked it yet as I am not sure since my original ticket is booked on DB. Can I have tickets booked on DB and reserve seats on OBB ?

Thanks,

Posted by
21188 posts

Wait a minute. In your original post you say you already have 1st class tickets and seat reservations.

We were booked for a non stop 12:28 train on a first class with coach and seat reservations.

Nothing has changed except the train stops at Salzburg now and you have to change to another train for the continuation to Munich. You already have seat reservations, so just take your seats.

Posted by
34 posts

Yes I do have seats reserved for my journey from Vienna to Salzburg , but since this train will not go to Munich as originally scheduled, I will need take another train EC216 and I don’t have seats reserved on that train. I wanted to have seats reserved so that we don’t have to move if someone else has already booked the seats or don’t have a place to sit if its busy.

Posted by
21188 posts

If you just take the regional train at 15:05, you will get to Munich 36 minutes sooner. It has no reservation, so just get on board and grab 2 1st class seats and they are yours for the trip.

Posted by
7967 posts

DB works for me (although I have clearly not taken it all the way to payment, which can be by Pay Pal as opposed to card) and I believe that OBB will only do reservations only (as opposed to tickets) for domestic journeys. But if OBB do offer international reservations (and the system works) then there is no reason not to take them.
On DB 5.20 Euro is for 2nd class seats, 6.50 Euro for 1st.

I understand and really sympathise with the OP wanting reservations (and fully understand why), especially on the BRB RE train where there are only 16 1st class seats per unit. The way I travel personally I would be more relaxed about the question. It is easy for me to say that, I know. Like the Westbahn are I am sure that the DB/OBB will be providing replacement buses. Many pax in my opinion will just go for the buses, as Europeans are more relaxed generally than it seems most Americans over using that option. I may be being optimistic but my intrinsic hope would be that BRB will double up the regional trains (if the infrastructure allows it and they have the rolling stock available).
And in my mind, as Option 3 (if the connecting RE is very busy), I would note that the hourly RE trains arrive from Munich at Salzburg at 42 minutes past the hour, so would just hang around for 40 minutes or so until the next service arrived in, then jump on first.

Posted by
21188 posts

When I hit "continue" on the payment page, I get this message.

Reservation cannot be made at the moment
Reservation is currently not possible for technical reasons. You can book without a reservation, choose another connection or try again later.

Posted by
34 posts

isn31c- Thank you , I was able to book seat reservation only for the EC216 on DB app.