Advice - DB cancellation

[Huntergreed]

I’m booked to travel from Frankfurt hbf to Prague Hl. N early next month. I booked through Deutsche Bahn and had the following itinerary:

09:18 Frankfurt Hbf - Dresden-Neustadt (13:30) - ICE1557
15:02 Dresden-Neustadt - Praha Hl. N (17:23) - EC175

I received this email from them earlier today:

Good afternoon Huntergreed,

Due to a timetable change, your journey from Frankfurt(Main)Hbf to Praha hl.n. in April 2025 cannot be carried out as described.
Because of the scheduling change, your original ticket is now valid on any route to your original destination with any of DB's long-distance (ICE, IC, EC) or regional (RE, RB, IRE, S-Bahn) trains. You can choose a later connection, and you can also travel earlier in the day on your original travel date.

NOTE: For travel within Germany, all you will need to show is your original ticket; you will not need to show any additional proof of the scheduling change.

I’m unsure of exactly what my rights are in this situation (not very experienced with this!) - From the email, I gather that my original journey can no longer be completed (but they do not advise which train has been cancelled or why this is the case)

I have a few questions:

- The email mentions that I am able to use any appropriate train/route, but suggests this is only the case within Germany. Am I required to connect onto my originally booked EC train from Dresden?

- The email suggests that I only need to show my original ticket in Germany, but do I require additional proof (the email/some other proof of disruption) when I cross into Czechia?

- I presume that I am now permitted to take any route I like to get to Praha now (ie - Can I travel via Nuremberg/Cheb or do I still need to travel via Dresden?)


Thanks in advance for the advice

 

[poffle]

I’m booked to travel from Frankfurt hbf to Prague Hl. N early next month. I booked through Deutsche Bahn and had the following itinerary:

09:18 Frankfurt Hbf - Dresden-Neustadt (13:30) - ICE1557
15:02 Dresden-Neustadt - Praha Hl. N (17:23) - EC175

I received this email from them earlier today:



I’m unsure of exactly what my rights are in this situation (not very experienced with this!) - From the email, I gather that my original journey can no longer be completed (but they do not advise which train has been cancelled or why this is the case)

I have a few questions:

- The email mentions that I am able to use any appropriate train/route, but suggests this is only the case within Germany. Am I required to connect onto my originally booked EC train from Dresden?

- The email suggests that I only need to show my original ticket in Germany, but do I require additional proof (the email/some other proof of disruption) when I cross into Czechia?

- I presume that I am now permitted to take any route I like to get to Praha now (ie - Can I travel via Nuremberg/Cheb or do I still need to travel via Dresden?)


Thanks in advance for the advice

Which date was this for? Might let us try to work out what the issues is.

I'm seeing that connection still listed on some days in the DB app.

Generally DB are pretty flexible but I'd expect your ticket lists a particular route.

 

[signed]

Your ticket automatically loses Zugbindung and it becomes a flexible ticket on the route. Now it's only helpful if we can figure out what changed exactly.

 

[Huntergreed]

Which date was this for? Might let us try to work out what the issues is.

This is for Saturday 05th April.

I'm seeing that connection still listed on some days in the DB app.

Generally DB are pretty flexible but I'd expect your ticket lists a particular route.

Ticket type is a 1st class Super Sparpreis Europa if that makes any difference. It doesn’t mention anything about having to stick to a certain route beyond that it is (or was) only valid on the trains listed in the itinerary.

 

[rvdborgt]

The first thing to do is:
1. Don't panic.
2. Look up your journey on bahn.de. In this case, your ICE to Dresden ends in Leipzig but you can change to an IC to Dresden. and still catch your EC.

- The email mentions that I am able to use any appropriate train/route, but suggests this is only the case within Germany. Am I required to connect onto my originally booked EC train from Dresden?

You are not.

- The email suggests that I only need to show my original ticket in Germany, but do I require additional proof (the email/some other proof of disruption) when I cross into Czechia?

You don't

- I presume that I am now permitted to take any route I like to get to Praha now (ie - Can I travel via Nuremberg/Cheb or do I still need to travel via Dresden?)

You can use a different route indeed.

 

[poffle]

The first thing to do is:
1. Don't panic.
2. Look up your journey on bahn.de. In this case, your ICE to Dresden ends in Leipzig but you can change to an IC to Dresden. and still catch your EC.


You are not.

You don't

You can use a different route indeed.

Usually DB tickets will have a Via section on the ticket. This lists the codes for a series of stations that the ticket is valid for.

These are listed as a series of single, two and three letter codes with a number of alternative routes shown.

E.g. F for Frankfurt(Main) Hbf, L for Leipzig Hbf, D for Dresden Hbf, NUE for Nürnberg Hbf

Removing the Zugbindung may not necessarily allow you to use a route that isn't listed on the ticket validity.

DB app does list a Frankfurt - Praha connection using ICE1221 Frankfurt to Regensburg and RE25/EX359 Regensburg to Praha. The Regional train is a Munich- Prague train operated by Alex.

In Germany Regional trains can be very busy at weekends, particularly since the introduction of the Deutschlandticket.

 

[rvdborgt]

Usually DB tickets will have a Via section on the ticket. This lists the codes for a series of stations that the ticket is valid for.

The only thing relevant in the VIA section for this case are the carrier codes, which would be 1080 (DB and other operators in TBNE/Deutschlandtarif) and 1154 (ČD).

Removing the Zugbindung may not necessarily allow you to use a route that isn't listed on the ticket validity.

Routes you can use are basically "any reasonable route" with the same carriers, regardless of routes specified on the ticket.

DB app does list a Frankfurt - Praha connection using ICE1221 Frankfurt to Regensburg and RE25/EX359 Regensburg to Praha. The Regional train is a Munich- Prague train operated by Alex.

Exactly. Carrier code 1080 also includes Alex (Die Länderbahn GmbH DLB), so this route can be used if it's reasonable. When the planner proposes it, it's certainly reasonable IMO.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Personally, I’d stick to the original route via Dresden as Alex trains are not so good

 

[Huntergreed]

Thanks for the advice - I've found a similar itinerary I can use as below:

09:18 Frankfurt - Liepzig (ICE1557)
13:00 Liepzig - Dresden (RE50)

Can anyone confirm - is my original seat reservation still booked on ICE1557, even though the train is now terminating in Liepzig? I presume it is but I'm not sure (and if it isn't I would quite like to book another!)

 

[poffle]

My understanding is that the original reservations remain but not 100% sure.

ICE 1557 only starts in Wiesbaden and stops in Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbf before Frankfurt Hbf so it not be too bad for reservations.

I would suspect that the big traffic flow would be Frankfurt - Leipzig as the in between locations are much smaller. ( There aren't many terminus stations in the core DB network but this train manages three of them Wiesbaden Hbf, Frankfurt Hbf and Leipzig Hbf.)

 

[rvdborgt]

I think the reservation will still exist on ICE 1557. You can change in either Dresden-Neustadt or Dresden Hbf.