Questions about Oct 1 mask rules on public transport?

Just read the new regulation as I will be in Germany mid-month as well. The federal rule applies to long distance travel using public transportation. Think Deutsche Bahn, but also long-distance bus such as Flixbus. So FFP2 for long distance trains. However, each state and municipality set their own rule, and there you may be able to wear FFP2 or surgical masks. You'll have to check for each location you'll be visiting. Local transportation includes local buses, trams, U-Bahn etc.

Note that Germany no longer requires masking on flights, although your carrier's rules are what matters.

Viel Spass in Deutschland!

“Does state or the new federal law mandate mask rules on local public transportation?”

I’m not sure what you are asking.

These appear to be the rules in place:

1) FFP2 masks are required for everyone over age 14 on long-distance trains. Surgical masks are not sufficient.

2) On local trains and buses, masks are ALSO required, but surgical masks are sufficient.

The way it is written as I had quoted above, it says that wearing the surgical mask is not mandatory under federal law. So if federal law says that masks are optional on local public transportation but state law says masks are mandatory, which law is the authority?

I also would like to know if passengers can eat or drink on a long distance train given that FFP2s are mandatory. Will conductors be upset if we are eating/drinking at our seats with masks removed?

Q1. States can implement more stringent measures than the federal restrictions call for. You'll need to check what different regions and cities you travel to are requiring.

Q2. Yes, you can eat and drink on trains, with the expectation that you will put your mask back on afterwards. If you don't you may get some dirty looks...

Just as states in the US can implement their own regulations that may not match federal laws (legalization of marijuana for example) states in Germany can do so as well. But in this case, as you quoted above:

“Health ministers in all 16 German states have agreed that passengers on local buses and trains will be required to wear at least surgical masks,…”

In this case you are talking about two separate issues: 1) long distance trains, (which likely cross over multiple states) and require FFP2 masks. 2) local trains, which ALL 16 GERMAN STATES have agreed that passengers will wear at least surgical masks.

Looks like you’re stuck wearing a mask of some sort on any kind of train.

Every state in Germany is able to put it's own rules even for long distance trains ..... we've been thru this situation before already :-)

I would keep it simple - wear a FFP2 mask in every public transport system regardless if long or short distance. It is ok to eat and drink still.

Thank you everybody

I’m on an ICE train to Berlin right now and the CONDUCTOR who just inspected the tickets/barcodes in our carriage wore a flimsy surgical mask! I guess there is no managerial enforcement of mask laws?

The pax in the carriage however are all wearing FFP2s myself included.

No, employees are not covered by the same rules that apply to passengers. Many people are not happy about this (one article in German on the theme, related to an S-Bahn system, but the general principle holds), but the controller was not breaking the rules, they just do not apply to him or her.

Thank you for the clarification. That doesn’t seem to make sense that there are exceptions to a health rule but then there are always politicians making exceptions as if the virus knows the difference. Case in point in NYC: as recently as this spring, the NYC mayor mandated that visiting professional athletes regardless of the sport were exempt from vaccine requirements & thus could play but athletes on all local teams could NOT play in an arena or stadium without proof of vaccination.

Yes. I agree that this rule is strange. It stems from the power of employee unions, for the record. I just felt the need to clarify that it was, indeed, a rule rather than a breaking of a rule. Because: German.

Some (!) ICE conductors claim sanctity and infallibility for themselves. So they can't get infected at all.

S and U Bahn in Munich , rush hour , everyone is masked , haven't seen anyone not complying.