Hi,
DB is scheduling me for a 13 minute transfer at Frankfurt(Main)Hbf from platform 1 to 20. Is this reasonable? I'll be travelling with my (hopefully light) luggage, and I often walk 1/2 a mile in 10 minutes... but I don't know how big/crowded the station actually is. (This will be next Wednesday around 11am).
Thanks!
This is a dead-end station, so 13 min. should be fine but if there are train delays, what will you do? Is this for a regional train or an S-bahn or an ICE? There are 24 tracks here, so you are walking from one side to the next.
I would make sure you are at the very front of the train, go ahead and walk through 1st class. Once you get to your new train, you can get on the first car too and walkthrough. Just make sure it is the correct train though as they sometimes switch tracks from what is scheduled. They are doing tons of construction everywhere in Germany and it affects the trains quite a bit.
Where are you coming from and where are you going?
Yes, reasonable, all flat walking. ie, no stairs to go up and down as in Hamburg Hbf.
Be aware that nomally around 80% of DB long-distance trains are on-time + 5-6 mins late. This ratio "crashed" down in June to around 70% (source, click on "Pünktlichkeitswerte" and "DB Fernverkehr" for statistics).
Thanks, everyone! The train I'm taking to Frankfurt is a "Regional-Express" from Bacharach, and the train I'm hoping to catch is an ICE 'sprinter' to Berlin. I have a rail pass, so if I miss the connection, I'll just get a later, slower, ICE, and hang out in Frankfurt station until then. DB has "high demand expected" for the 'sprinter', so I was thinking about getting reservations on it (would rather not be standing for 4 hours), and I assume that I can't transfer the reservations if I miss the original train.
Assuming you are now planning on the 7:37 RE to Frankfurt Hbf arriving at 8:49, then the 9:02 ICE to Berlin, I suggest you take the 6:56 RE to Frankfurt Hbf arriving at 8:22. Then you will have 40 minutes to make the change, time enough to grab a cup of coffee.
And by all means, spend the 4.50 EUR for a seat reservation for the ICE.
Regional trains have far better on-time ratio than long-distance trains. So you are likely to make the connection.
There is also a tunnel under the tracks (stairs only, no escalators). I have used it to run halfway across the station in under 2 minutes :-)
Have had similar connections. Piece of cake. Don't dawdle, because that connecting train WILL leave right on time.
I just wanted to thank everyone for their help. It turned out to be no problem -- I'd misread the schedule, and it wasn't actually from 1 to 20, but rather a shorter transfer. The advice to go to the front of the train was good, but I waited too long to move, and everyone was jammed in the aisle... but I still made it without breaking a sweat -- even though things were probably crazier than normal due to the recent incident there.
