DB Planner Engineering Work Timetable

[YorkshireBear]

Just been looking at some journeys for the summer from Stuttgart to London. Journeys via Paris have a warning saying between Stuttgart and Paris a 60 minute delay due to construction works, but it hasn't actually changed the time of the train. Is this common practise, to just advise of a delay and not actually change the time in the planner?

And if this is the case, how reliable is the extra 60 minutes, are they likely to meet that or could it take a lot longer?

 

[k-c-p]

In general: Yes, this happens when maintenance work take place but the schedules for the period are not confirmed yet. Happened to me a few week ago when I booked an advance ticket and the planner said "train likely to be cancelled. Check again prior to departure". When I did a few days prior to the trip, one of the trains involved was cancelled and my ticket was endorsed for another train in the ticket office.

I guess in your case track work by SNCF might be involved. From the delay of about an hour I would guess that the trains could be diverted via the northern route (Mannheim->Kaiserslautern->Saarbrücken) instead of the regular southern route via Strasbourg.

From my experiences on the past: The delay estimate is ok. Nevertheless, in such a case I would try to buy the ticket from one operator instead of mixing DB/SNCF/Eurostar tickets as this might save you some discussions when the final schedule is confirmed.

Unfortunately, on your case this will leave you with SNCF only as DB does not sell tickets from Paris to London and you want to go via Paris. SNCF tickets for such an international services are usually available 6 month in advance - in contrast to domestic services which usually go on sale only 3 month in advance (as SNCF toys a lot with booking windows, best search for a ticket for your desired date and register an email alert, if the ticket are not on sale yet).

Alternatively, book a DB London ticket via Brussels (booking tip: put in Brussels North as intermediate stop as this will omit the Thalys trains). As this is one ticket, you stand a better chance when the schedules change or a delay happens. From Stuttgart this takes longer than the trip via Paris, but when one hour is added to the Paris route, the difference is not that big any more. Connection from ICE to EST in Brussels is pretty relaxed as there is usually about 1,5h time between ICE arrival and EST departure (and checkin in Brussels is less chaotic than in Paris - at I least I try to avoid to change to EST in Paris). These tickets can be bought 6 month in advance.

hth
Charly

 

[YorkshireBear]

Thanks very much for the reply. It is on an interail ticket and we are going out via Brussels so was hoping to come back the other way. As you say with allowing all the time to check in for Eurostar at Paris etc it might be as quick and certainly less stressful via Brussels so might do that instead! I think in this case it might not be worth the hassle.

 

[30907]

As k-c-p says, it is normal practice on DB (and OeBB too) for InterCity routes. It allows them to open bookings 6 months in advance. For Regional routes there can also be short notice changes and these are not necessarily flagged up. There is a general warning on the journey planner "please check train times nearer the departure date."

 

[YorkshireBear]

Of course one testament to whether it is reliable is on the day of travel (22nd June) there is now only a warning about engineering work on one train from stuttgart to paris but every other train has no warning, the triangle is also grey not red. But now there is engineering work in Cologne, with Koln Hbf replaced by Koln Erenfeld. Doesn't say anything about increased journey times. I hope this means a nice diversion round some lesser used lines in Cologne.

 

[Spoorslag '70]

But now there is engineering work in Cologne, with Koln Hbf replaced by Koln Erenfeld. Doesn't say anything about increased journey times. I hope this means a nice diversion round some lesser used lines in Cologne.

When trains omit Köln Hbf for Köln-Ehrenfeld and coming from Siegburg and going towards Aachen you can be pretty sure of a diversion via the Südbrücke, probably rejoining the normal route around Ehrenfeld Pbf. That's what it looks like for the ICEs on 22.06., especially as other trains are not affected (could be some sort of capacity problems due to small works). That should be pretty much time neutral as they don't have to squeeze over the Hohenzollernbrücke.

 

[30907]

Of course one testament to whether it is reliable is on the day of travel (22nd June) there is now only a warning about engineering work on one train from stuttgart to paris but every other train has no warning, the triangle is also grey not red.

The other direct trains have simply disappeared! I think there is work in the Strasbourg area, as, looking a couple of weeks earlier, the Offenburg-Strasbourg locals I was planning on using have similarly disappeared.

 

[YorkshireBear]

When trains omit Köln Hbf for Köln-Ehrenfeld and coming from Siegburg and going towards Aachen you can be pretty sure of a diversion via the Südbrücke, probably rejoining the normal route around Ehrenfeld Pbf. That's what it looks like for the ICEs on 22.06., especially as other trains are not affected (could be some sort of capacity problems due to small works). That should be pretty much time neutral as they don't have to squeeze over the Hohenzollernbrücke.

Ddfinitely going to go via koln and see if I can do it.

 

[YorkshireBear]

The other direct trains have simply disappeared! I think there is work in the Strasbourg area, as, looking a couple of weeks earlier, the Offenburg-Strasbourg locals I was planning on using have similarly disappeared.

Aye, going to avoid it I think.