Frankfurt/Main (dpa/lhe) – After the high capacity utilization in trains on the Pentecost weekend, the Pro Bahn Hessen passenger association sees offers such as the 9-euro ticket as an opportunity for the future. “People use the train when the pricing system is simple and, above all, cheap,” said state chairman Thomas Kraft on Tuesday. However, it is also clear that investments in the infrastructure have to be made. “We need longer trains because after Corona people don’t want to sit so tightly anymore and more bicycle compartments or other multi-purpose compartments.”
Deutsche Bahn assumes that the 9-euro ticket at Whitsun has slightly increased the usual number of passengers on buses and trains nationwide. However, she did not name any figures in a balance sheet on Tuesday. There were overcrowded trains, especially on the way to holiday regions, the railway said without giving regional information. There were also crowds on platforms and delays.
The 9-euro ticket is valid for June, July and August nationwide on all buses, trams, subways, S-Bahn and local and regional trains – regardless of whether they are from Deutsche Bahn or other providers. “With 86,000 train journeys at DB Regio, everything that can roll rolled over the long weekend,” said the head of the group division, Jörg Sandvoß, with a view to the whole of Germany. He spoke of a tour de force by the employees. For the expected increasing number of passengers from June 1st, more than 50 additional trains would roll nationwide.
Demand was also high at the North Hessian Transport Association. Not all passengers were always able to board, but had to wait for the next connection on the Kassel-Göttingen route on Friday, for example, as a spokeswoman said. It was also not always possible to take bicycles with you at all times. The lines Kassel-Göttingen, Kassel-Frankfurt, Kassel-Hagen, Kassel-Düsseldorf and Kassel-Bebra-Fulda were particularly in demand on Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and from Monday noon.
