Germany - minimum connection times

[Mag_seven]

Are there any guidelines re minimum connection times in Germany? I have a potential 8 min connection in Hamburg HBF and want to know if it is reasonable.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I don't know the *rules* but if Hafas will give it to you it's valid.

The station is large but easy to navigate, I can't see that being an issue. The layout and size is New St-esque but under an impressive airy trainshed instead of in a pit.

 

[Groningen]

In Berlin Hbf, Muenchen Hbf and Frankfurt am Main Hbf i should take at least 15 minutes.

 

[superalbs]

I was given a 2 minute connection at Rotterdam Centraal. Safe to say I chose a different train!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I was given a 2 minute connection at Rotterdam Centraal. Safe to say I chose a different train!

When NS give you that kind of connection, it's usually a cross-platform one with connections held and the train either side of the platform having the same arrival/departure times. It'd probably have been OK.

SBB also like doing that kind of thing - the only problem with it is that it gives little time to use station services e.g. shops, and with infrequent services it's often the case that dropping back a train means half an hour or even an hour's wait (or on DB regional services sometimes even two hours).

 

[33056]

Personally speaking, with the way DB are performing these days I would allow a lot more than 8 minutes connection if your timings are critical

 

[30907]

Are there any guidelines re minimum connection times in Germany? I have a potential 8 min connection in Hamburg HBF and want to know if it is reasonable.

As Neil says, if www.bahn.com gives it, it should be fine. You can build in extra time if you want.

1. Are you using a through Sparpreis (train-specific) ticket? If so, your ticket can easily be validated for a later train if there's a delay.

2. What's the fallback? As with any connection anywhere, it's different depending on whether the next train is in 20 min, 2hr or next day.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Hamburg Hbf isn't that big, even Frankfurt isn't that much of a problem. Munich Hbf connections to Austria/Italy are usually on fairly close platforms but anywhere other destination in Germany is likely to be a problem. Berlin Hbf between Tief and Obergeschoss takes ages

 

[Bletchleyite]

Muenchen Hbf has remote platforms not dissimilar to Manc Picc P13/14 - if you get one of these (higher number) it can be a long walk.

 

[embers25]

Are there any guidelines re minimum connection times in Germany? I have a potential 8 min connection in Hamburg HBF and want to know if it is reasonable.

If you have internet their Train Tracker app is great for seeing where your other train is so at least you know how much time you actually have when you get there. (As long as your trains are both covered on it!)

 

[DaiGog]

Hamburg Hbf is better than most large German stations for tight connections, because it is not a terminus and has two overbridges between all platforms other than a couple of S-Bahn ones, situated at roughly 1/3 and 2/3 way down the platforms. If you are changing onto a Regio service, there are A and B sections to some platforms, so you may want to bear that in mind when arriving to make sure you choose the better overbridge, but that said, 5 minutes ought to be enough time to cross between any two platforms.

 

[Mag_seven]

Thanks to everyone who has provided advice. I am on a flexible ticket so there is no financial penalty if I miss my intended connection but there is a time one - its two hours to the next train to my intended destination and it means arriving there at around 20.00 as opposed to 18.00. I will catch an earlier train to connect at Hamburg even though that means an early departure from my hotel.

 

[Groningen]

Muenchen layout:

http://www.bahnhof.de/contentblob/6511072/M%C3%BCnchen+Hbf_locationBild/data.jpg

You have a problem, when you arrive from an area above Rosenheim (say Mühldorf(Oberbay)) and you want to go to Garmisch-Partenkirchen. You arrive at track 5 and depart from 28.

 

[47513 Severn]

Muenchen Hbf has remote platforms not dissimilar to Manc Picc P13/14 - if you get one of these (higher number) it can be a long walk.

... And if you're distracted by the model shop you pass when walking to the lower numbered extremities all bets are off. Very easy to lose an hour in there!

47513

 

[WestRiding]

Personally speaking, with the way DB are performing these days I would allow a lot more than 8 minutes connection if your timings are critical

Got to agree, DB were shocking last month. Out of using 5 ICE trains, none arrived at the destination on time, all at least 10 late. The local services not been any better. And people complain about our railways. But the media say trains are always on time in Germany.

 

[Groningen]

Complaining about the railways is not bound to one particular country.

 

[theblackwatch]

Got to agree, DB were shocking last month. Out of using 5 ICE trains, none arrived at the destination on time, all at least 10 late. The local services not been any better. And people complain about our railways. But the media say trains are always on time in Germany.

This fits in with my experiences - for long distance trains, 10-15 minutes late is normal in Germany. I'd be interested to see some PPM (Public Performance Measure) figures for the country similar to those produced in the UK - I suspect they'd be much worse in Germany!

 

[Bletchleyite]

The key difference is that they hold connections. This has the odd effect of making the whole system 10 minutes late by the end of the day, but is rather more passenger friendly than our approach when you consider the low frequencies they operate.

 

[dutchflyer]

The latest printed big timetablebooks I have of them do give lists of such time and for stations like MUC-FRA they even differ for different tracks-taking account of those side-platfms. In MUC it varied from 5 (only main hall) till 15 mins (for the longest walk from left till right outer wings).
Compared to that dreadful dark maze of Brum NS Hamburg has at least 3 under/overpasses, much wider too, so much less need to walk along the whole train first.

 

[Bletchleyite]

The latest printed big timetablebooks I have of them do give lists of such time and for stations like MUC-FRA they even differ for different tracks-taking account of those side-platfms. In MUC it varied from 5 (only main hall) till 15 mins (for the longest walk from left till right outer wings).
Compared to that dreadful dark maze of Brum NS Hamburg has at least 3 under/overpasses, much wider too, so much less need to walk along the whole train first.

Hamburg Hbf has two bridges and no underpasses. Exactly the same as New St, just under a nice overall roof instead of in a filthy smelly pit.

 

[gordonthemoron]

The key difference is that they hold connections. This has the odd effect of making the whole system 10 minutes late by the end of the day, but is rather more passenger friendly than our approach when you consider the low frequencies they operate.

to a certain extent

 

[WestRiding]

The key difference is that they hold connections. This has the odd effect of making the whole system 10 minutes late by the end of the day, but is rather more passenger friendly than our approach when you consider the low frequencies they operate.

No they dont, they may do other ICE connections, but normal IC trains just go on time.

 

[Oscar]

Official statistics on punctuality are here. The records are based on stations called at, not arrival at the final station. Local trains do much better than long-distance trains.

https://www.bahn.de/p/view/buchung/auskunft/puenktlichkeit_personenverkehr.shtml

 

[Mag_seven]

In the end I decided to go for the 8 min connection and made it comfortably.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Berlin Hbf between Tief and Obergeschoss takes ages

Not if you take the (appropriate) lift - there is just one long shaft and you can go straight up/down really quickly if there aren't people boarding/alighting at the intermediate levels.