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Timetable changes for prebooked train ticket - what to do?

Posted by on

Hi everyone,

I have seen a few posts up regarding this type of issue, but Im still unsure about how to sort out my particular situation...

I have a prebooked ticket from debahn website for a train journey as follows: on 30.09

8:25 ICE13 Brussels to Koln HBF (Germany)

ICE225 Koln HBF to Basel (Switzerland)

15:04 EC153 Basel to Lucerne

So basically my trains are Belgium and Switzerland trains..

After rechecking their timetable, I've noticed only the first connection (Brussels to Koln HBF) is still running. Because of this, am I allowed to take any continuing train from Koln HBF to my destination? It means 3 transfers instead of the two transfers I have in my original journey. Will my ticket still work?

Either way I end up 1hour later at my destination than normal. And I read somewhere I can take any train connections because I am more than 20mins delayed...is that correct?

The email also provided the new, current timetable and rather than going through Koln HBF, it suggested a journey through Paris (thalys trains). Am I able to use this route on my ticket? And what about the seat reservations on the thalys?

I am worried I won't be able to contact de Bahn at all :/ so all in all I'm just looking at how to travel from Brussels to Lucerne on a pre booked ticket for a journey that is now changed...

So any help would be greatly greatly appreciated

Thank you so much

Posted by
21152 posts

The reason is that a tunnel collapse has closed the rail line on the route between Cologne and Basel. The break is between Rastatt and Baden-Baden. When you get to Karlsruhe, everyone will get off the train and be loaded on to buses and go to Baden-Baden where you will board a new train that will continue on to Basel where you will connect to Luzern. Trains from Basel to Luzern are unreserved, so just get on the next train to Luzern. They are very frequent. The repair work is now scheduled to be complete Oct 2. It happened a month ago.

One issue with the route through Paris is that you will have to get from Paris Nord station to Paris Est station which is about a half mile walk. You can walk, take the Metro, or a city bus, or a taxi. You will have 50 minutes to do this.

Posted by
3 posts

Hi Sam,

Thanks for the background. I wasn't aware of that. And j see. I have noticied I will need to go via Baden Baden and onwards to Lucerne, however this adds an extra hour to my journey.

So will the ticket be valid for this extended journey and I will not need to do anything extra?

On a side note, I am wondering if I can take my journey through Paris instead of via Koln HBF. When I clicked on the suggested timetable, the routes suggested are through Paris. The time of departure and arrive are different to my original times, but it arrives aboht 20mins later and not an hour at least....

Would my original ticket be valid for this? Would I need to reserve new seats, and if so how? Or am I fixed into the Koln HBF route?

Cheers

Posted by
21152 posts

I think you will have to contact DB by email. The Thalys and TGV both require seat reservations, so maybe DB can give you a booking code to do that. Or just stick to the current ticket, in which you don't have to do anything (except be an hour later arriving in Luzern).

There is information on the DB website here.
https://www.bahn.com/en/view/home/help/line-closure-raststatt.shtml

If I read this right, If you bought the ticket before August 22, you can get a full refund and rebook through Paris on your own. Any way, try to contact DB before doing anything.

Posted by
3 posts

You've been great help. I'll do my best to contact them .. so far no luck but thanks for pointing me in the right direction (:

Posted by
11613 posts

I have contacted bahn.de via email a few times and they replied promptly, be sure to include your ticket/reservation number in the subject line.

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