What is "Normal" connection time on DB trains?

I can't find journeys with just 9 minutes for a transfer. But I'm guessing at dates. What date is this journey? Need that to check track numbers, etc.

Too less information:

• Tool: https://int.bahn.de/en?
• Transfer station?
• Long-distance trains involved? Unlikely.
• Connection IDs, e. g. RE 123 or RB 789
• Date and day of travel

9 minutes is not a short connection time.

Trains are not like planes. Connecting just involves walking from one train to another, and as passengers like to be kept moving a good railway plans its trains with as efficient a connection as possible. I have seen connections advertised of only 1 minute. In fact, in regional traffic a connection of more than 5 minutes means the railway is wasting your time. You'll be spending most of those 9 minutes wishing the train came earlier...

What date is your travel? Without date we cannot go and have a look at the timetables ourselves...

Mark tends to beat these things to death, and sometimes thats a good thing, as when he is done you will have the best possible answer, so work with him and he will give you the time necessary to help you.

In broad general terms, and coming from this novice tourist who rides a train in Europe not more than 4 times a year, I travel for relaxation and enjoyment and avoid anything that might add to stress or uncertainty. Telling me I have nothing to worry about or even my realization that the cause for concern should be very low often does nothing to increase my confidence. All that is pounding in my head is that I don’t know the language so getting help might not be easy, I have nothing in writing that explains the rules for using the ticket on the next train if the train should be late, if the conductor wants to argue with me, back to I don’t know the language, I don’t know the station, I don’t know the cultural norms in most situations, I don’t know how often the trains are late. Heck, I just want to enjoy the trip. So, on those grounds alone I wouldn’t do less than a 10-minute transfer and I would be happy as a three toed tiger if it were 20 minutes and most of the trains I have taken in Europe, when they have had connections have been 10 minutes or more.

I have a train trip tomorrow. It leaves from a station I don’t often go to. I think I have taken a train out of that station maybe 3 times in 20 years. But I know the lay of the station and how to get there, I know the ins and outs of the national train company as I ride it a few times a year. I am still showing up 30 minutes early. I will go to one of the bakeries and buy a coffee and a pastry and then walk over to the track board and wait for the number to show up. I wont got bored. Heck, I wait 3 or 4 minutes on a bus or a tram or a metro, what’s 10 for a train? Now, if the train were a US train (other than Kansas) I would be happy with 4 minutes.

But my answer is only right for me.

I see a multi- regional train itinerary every 2 hours with 4 connections. The shortest is 9 minutes at Bad Kreuznach from Track 5 to Track 2. You just have to go with it
If you miss a connection, just wait for the next train. It might be 2 hours, but you will get there.

Station info Bad Kreuznach, see map:
https://www.bahnhof.de/en/bad-kreuznach

For photos check Google Maps.

Without date info: if arriving train is on time and you are normal fit it shall be OK. With mobility or orientation issue I recommend contacting MSZ of DB to help you.

Attention: ongoing maintenance works until March 23. Some connections use bus replacement services from / to Bad Kreuznach. In these cases 9 minutes are narrow.

standard guidance is to be ready to get off your train (have bags ready) before the train stops so you are not caught in a crowd of people scrambling to do the same and aisles are full. And then some people trying to get on your train while you're trying to get off.

I would say whether those nine minutes provides enough time for you depends on 2 main factors....1. your knowledge of the station . 2. how big the station.

You can expect summer to be very crowded in major German trains, Frankfurt, Munich, Cologne , Dortmund, Leipzig, and above all, Hamburg Hbf., Stuttgart. I travel only in the summer and just deal with it, ie, congestion, canceled trains, delays, changes with dep. tracks, and other related train travel problems.

Where you're transferring, 9 minutes is sufficient

Mark, any suggestion for bhawke88?

I would say whether those nine minutes provides enough time for you
depends on 2 main factors....1. your knowledge of the station . 2. how
big the station.

You do not need knowledge of a particular station. Changing trains is pretty much the same everywhere. You get of one train. You walk to the platform of the next train. You get on. How do you what platform your next train is? In the past we had to consult actual printed departure posters for that, but nowadays you have the internet. So have the DB app handy. And how do you find your platform? You just follow the signs.

In most stations 9 minutes is ample. You will spend a lot of those minutes wishing your train would com/leave sooner.

Changing trains is pretty much the same everywhere. You get of one train. You walk to the platform of the next train. You get on. How do you what platform your next train is?

WengenK, do you really think that anybody in the world would post a thread on a travel forum to get this un-advice by somebody from nowhere (from view of OP)?

I think we shall take a question in this forum a little bit more seriously. In general I believe that most people have a good reason to do something although the reason is not obvious for other people. For example is traveling for people with dyslexia not easy, especially not in a country with a foreign language.

And no, not every station is the same because we also have small stations in Germany with 3 tracks but 4 platform numbers and other special things.

By the way: the problem is not new - or who knows Jacques Tati?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iE3QROGW3Ew

Better to know the layout of a big station than the alternative, Munich is one example as is Hamburg Hbf. I follow the signs, how many tourists actually do that especially those unfamiliar with train systems...well, too bad, isn't it?

I've seen tourists , Americans among too, totally frustrated in big stations, eg, Nuremberg, Wien Hbf, Berlin Hbf, or others...missed signs, or what ever, the app doesn't jive with the electronic message on the platform

I fully agree with Fred. There is a reason why Deutsche Bahn invested millions in development and testing of orientation, information and navigation of customers. Customer experience especially in parallel with user-driven digitization was a big challenge in the last 10-15 years for Deutsche Bahn; and they learned and did a lot.

Wengen K, don't place all your faith in the internet, and dependence on apps. They can lead you astray when there are late platform alterations. Use the overhead screens/indicators to be sure you have the right information and board the correct train. To do that needs just a little bit more time.
Carlisle Station, near me, has one platform/track with two faces- Platform 2. Arriving passengers get off the train on the Platform 1 side face, but departing passengers board on the Platform 3 side face.
No amount of apps is going to tell you that, a case of why you need a little more time to make the connection. It is a near daily event to see people confused with such an arrangement, wondering why doors are not opening.
Or when we have two trains in the platform- board the front train. Another one where I see regular confusion- Carlisle platform 2 and many other stations.
Sure I can make a one minute connection at Carlisle if I have to, but the MCT is 8 minutes for good reason.

This proposed connection at Bad Kreuznach in nine minutes Platform 2 to 5 is fine and workeable, but I need to double check the departure screens, also potentially wait for the lifts/elevators on both platforms, or be willing to walk up and down the steps.

I've experienced the wish of having a less tight connection time at Interlaken a few times too often, when the main line Swiss domestic train was running a few minutes late. I'd have willingly traded getting bored waiting a few minutes more for the Wilderswil connection to leave, and I'm a very competent rail traveller.

We are talking about trains in Western Germany.
So, the connection time is the time between your actual arrival time and the actual departure time of the next train at your transfer station. Trains are about ~30-50% likely to be delayed, so there's only a 25-50% combined chance that they are both on time. Okay, better on regional lines (I wouldn't expect delays at Baumholder station) than on intercity trains (which you are likely to use if travelling via Koblenz), but still, those 9 minutes are very theoretical.

This being said, if you miss a connection in Germany you can always take the next train without talking to anyone, so it is not a huge deal.

Trains are about ~30-50% likely to be delayed, so there's only a 25-50% combined chance that they are both on time.

These numbers are not correct for regional trains. Punctuality in January was 87.2% for regional and local transport (DB Regio). See row "Betriebliche Pünktlichkeit Nahverkehr" in table of monthly update on punctuality. The numbers are average for whole Germany.

I guess the punctuality in this area is better because of missing impact from large cities with delayed long-distance trains; only part of ICE line 91 (not ICE 91). Open question marks on influencing factors are disruptions and maintenance works of DB Regio Southwest (date unknown).

The "combined chance" of 76.2% does not make sense related to the question in my opinion because the second train will earliest leave on time - later was not the concern of OP.

There are times when apps are a disappointment to say the least, if not useless, if you are one those not listening to loudspeaker announcements in the local language or in English when the dep. track has been changed say, from 5 to 8 , announced repeatedly 3-4 times in German but only 1-2 times in English (true that does happen ) and that clueless, , not focused , unsuspecting, ignorant tourist not well versed in train travel , only fixated on his app ( here a big no-no) runs a good risk of missing his correct train. I am referring to ICE or IC trains.

In these situations you had better know the layout of the station, be it Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin Hbf, Hamburg Hbf, Rostock Hbf, Leipzig Hbf, etc., some far more taxing than others.