ICE cancelled or re-timed - my rights?

[StarCrossing]

Hello.

I hope this one should be straightforward, but I'm new to train travel in Germany...

I have a ticket for travel tomorrow - Thursday 11th May - from Munich to Nuremburg on ICE 602, departing Munich HBF at 06:56 and arriving Nuremburg HBF at 08:01. The ticket type is "Super SP Aktion (Einfache Fahrt)". I bought this through Raileurope several weeks ago - from memory the DB site was offering the same schedule, but I used Raileurope due to issues logging into DB.

It appears that ICE 602 has now either been cancelled or re-timed for the day in question. I haven't received any notification of this from Raileurope or DB, but it no longer appears on journey planners.

ICE 728 has similar timings between Munich and Nuremburg (06:48-07:56) as the original ICE 602 schedule.

My questions:
1) Am I correct that ICE 602 has been cancelled or re-timed?
2) Do I have an automatic right to take ICE 728 instead?
3) Am I likely to face any practical difficulties in simply boarding ICE 728, and are there any actions I should take in advance to mitigate against these? Note that I don't speak German.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[gordonthemoron]

If you have time, ask the staff at the service point in Munich Hbf, they speak English

If you’d booked through DB, they should email you about any changes, they have done for me for a trip in July. In my case they said my Sparpreis ticket was valid for any trip on the same route that day

 

[zero]

You shouldn't have any problems speaking English to an ICE conductor, and if ICE 602 is cancelled (or retimed by more than 20 minutes) you should be allowed to take any train that day.

As you still want to travel at the same time as the cancelled train then yes you can just board ICE 728 and explain if necessary - there will likely be other people with tickets for ICE 602 on board so the conductor may already be aware.

 

[ainsworth74]

If you've got a seat reservation and go to a DB ticket office I believe they'll even arrange new seat reservations on the suitable alternative service. I've certainly had this done a few times in the past even when the next departure was fairly imminent! Typically it's been sufficient to proffer the ticket for the delayed service and look hopefully at the ticket office clerk for them to sort it all out without any further discussion. Though they usually speak sufficient English should any discussion be required!

I think the reality is that DB staff are very used to disrupted and displaced passengers at this point so it's somewhat second nature for them to sort issues out...

 

[Mag_seven]

It appears to have been retimed to depart at 05.39 taking more than 2 hours to get to Nuremberg. (attached image from DB app shows this)

 

[30907]

It appears to have been retimed to depart at 05.39 taking more than 2 hours to get to Nuremberg. (attached image from DB app shows this)

Which looks like overnight work on the HSL. You can get up early if you want, but turning up at your original time will be absolutely fine. DB are used to timetable changes for major engineering works - they happen all the time.

 

[StarCrossing]

Thanks to all who have replied. It’s greatly appreciated!

 

[Teebs]

Funnily enough I've just had a similar notification for a July journey from Munich to Brussels via Frankfurt. It seemed to suggest buying a new ticket reservation and then my (sparpreis) ticket would be valid for the route. The closest viable journey goes via Cologne instead, so presumably I'd be ok buying a reservation only for the Munich-Cologne trains?

I may just phone DB up and rely on my dodgy German to work out what I'm meant to do. Unfortunately going to a ticket office doesn't work since I'm based in the UK.

 

[Fragezeichnen]

In Germany having a ticket reservation never has any effect on the validity or otherwise of your ticket. It is purely a payment to reserve a seat, nothing more.

All trains from Brussels to Frankfurt go via Cologne and as far as I know all train from Munich to Cologne go via Frankfurt so there is no change to your route.

If your train is cancelled you can use another equivalent train without the need to purchase anything further. If you had a reservation on the cancelled train, you should be able to get a replacement reservation on an alternative service for free from DB customer services.

 

[dutchflyer]

As for this via K to BRU: most likely you will have to change now in K (that is the german short for large city Köln, M=M-ünchen etc.), this is also very, very common-due to too few ICE-sets able to run over the border-other current etc. The route to BRU is also about the worst for cancellations. So they apparently try to use the few sets they have (same is for the line to AMS/NL-same principle problem) to best use-and other domestic sets for the inland trip. I guess (if this is indeed the case) that then there is no´ use any train´ privilege for you, as timings will hardly have changed (in theory-K is THE major stumbleblock and delay maker).

 

[Teebs]

As for this via K to BRU: most likely you will have to change now in K (that is the german short for large city Köln, M=M-ünchen etc.), this is also very, very common-due to too few ICE-sets able to run over the border-other current etc. The route to BRU is also about the worst for cancellations. So they apparently try to use the few sets they have (same is for the line to AMS/NL-same principle problem) to best use-and other domestic sets for the inland trip. I guess (if this is indeed the case) that then there is no´ use any train´ privilege for you, as timings will hardly have changed (in theory-K is THE major stumbleblock and delay maker).

Thanks, the original was 10.47 Munich - Frankfurt HBF, then 14.26 Frankfurt - Brussels. Deutsche Bahn's message says that's no longer possible.

Searching on Bahn.com the best replacement seems to be 9.28 Munich - Cologne then 14.43 Cologne to Brussels.

This gets in at roughly the same time as the original service. I assume my Sparpreis ticket would now be valid for that service and I just need to buy seat reservations to make sure I'm not standing? Thanks!

 

[30907]

Thanks, the original was 10.47 Munich - Frankfurt HBF, then 14.26 Frankfurt - Brussels. Deutsche Bahn's message says that's no longer possible.

Searching on Bahn.com the best replacement seems to be 9.28 Munich - Cologne then 14.43 Cologne to Brussels.

This gets in at roughly the same time as the original service. I assume my Sparpreis ticket would now be valid for that service and I just need to buy seat reservations to make sure I'm not standing? Thanks!

Yes, it's valid. Just avoid Thalys trains from Cologne which are not open to DB ticket holders even in these circumstances.
Looks as though there are major engineering works West of Cologne adding an hour to the journey.

 

[StarCrossing]

Thanks again for everyone's help. In the end, I boarded ICE 728 without speaking to anyone beforehand. On the train, I eventually managed to communicate the situation to the ticket inspector, but it took a couple of goes! Once she realised the times of my original train had changed, all was well.

 

[Teebs]

Thanks again for everyone's help. In the end, I boarded ICE 728 without speaking to anyone beforehand. On the train, I eventually managed to communicate the situation to the ticket inspector, but it took a couple of goes! Once she realised the times of my original train had changed, all was well.

That's very helpful to know for my journey, particularly as my outbound time has now changed too. Did you just show her the email notification from DB informing you of the Fahrplanaenderung?

 

[StarCrossing]

That's very helpful to know for my journey, particularly as my outbound time has now changed too. Did you just show her the email notification from DB informing you of the Fahrplanaenderung?

Hi. I didn't get an email (or anything else) from DB so had to explain from scratch. I'd have thought it should be very straightforward if you have an email you can show.

 

[duesselmartin]

Usually conductors are relaxed about it if the story sounds plausible. They know where engineering takes place, they are used to dealing with delayed connecting trains.