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Confused how to change Deutsche Bahn ticket for cancelled train

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Deutsche Bahn have sent me an email saying “Due to a timetable change, your journey from Berlin Hbf to Amsterdam Centraal on 12 June 2023 cannot be carried out as described. Please use the button "Find an alternative connection" to get your next possible connections. You can now use your ticket for other trains of Deutsche Bahn. You can choose a new train connection, e.g. on bahn.de or in the DB Navigator, for the same day and via the same route.”

The email doesn’t mention any refund. When I clicked through using the “Find an alternative connection” button and selected a connection, it wanted to charge me the full fare. It asks me to login after choosing a new itinerary but doesn’t give me an option to use any credit balance.

Also most of the routes it lists for the day say “High demand expected” so I would like to make a reservation.

Thanks for any helpful advice!

Posted by
18017 posts

I am wondering if you originally booked the same train that now shows departing from Berlin Gesundbrunnen at 9:47 am, IC 146. The train was originally to depart from Berlin Hbf, but due to construction work, it now departs from the alternate station. In that case, you should only have to take a train to Gesundbrunnen first.

What is the closest S-bahn station to where you are staying? You just need to get an S-bahn from there to Gesundbrunnen to meet the train. Right now, DB is showing the Sparpreis Europa of 74.90 EUR. Is that what you paid originally, or is it less?

Posted by
481 posts

You do not need a new ticket. The email you got just instructs you to use the website to look up an alternative connection, which you than can just use with your existing ticket.

Basically, even if you bought a Sparpreis (discounted) ticket you now have a flexible ticket you can use on any train.

So what you can do is:
a) claim back a refund for any reservations you made already. If you can't figure out how to do it on line just do it at the station.
b) get yourself a new reservation (not a ticket!). To do that go to https://www.bahn.com/en and choose "seat only".

But note, if you are still going to take the same train (look at the train number) you still have a reservation for that train. Relevant if, as the other poster mentioned, the train just leaves from a different station... What train is your booking for?

Trains work a little bit different from planes. Your ticket is actually not a receipt of the purchase of a seat on a particular service, but is a proof that you have paid for transport. It is only loosely linked to the train you planned on taking.

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you very much for your replies. I found a German speaker who read my Super Sparpreis €67.90 ticket and says it didn't have a reservation. The ticket was for IC144 which appears to start Hannover 14:40. I took your advice and booked a seat reservation for €4.50. Thanks again for your help :-)

Posted by
481 posts

IC144 leaves from Berlin Gesundbrunnen at 11:53. I would just board there.

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