Cologne (dpa / lnw) – At the end of the long Pentecost weekend, many trains in North Rhine-Westphalia got really crowded again on Monday. Many day trippers used the inexpensive 9-euro ticket for local transport. At Cologne Central Station, numerous travelers tried in vain to get a place in the compartments with their bicycles. On the other hand, the situation was relaxed on the platforms of long-distance trains, where the 9-euro ticket is not valid.
Deutsche Bahn had already warned in advance that regional trains could get crowded on the long Whitsun weekend, especially at tourist destinations. With the 9-euro ticket, passengers have been able to use local transport nationwide for a month since last Wednesday.
It was initially relatively quiet on the freeways on Monday afternoon. The WDR reported traffic jams with a total length of almost 50 kilometers in North Rhine-Westphalia.
