We started running more trains in December, providing an additional 50,000 seats for long-distance passengers this year. This enables us to offer maximum space for our customers, making it easier for you to maintain the recommended level of social distancing.
Please pay attention to the distance markers: they help you board and disembark when your train is at the platform.
All unenclosed DB Reisezentrum and DB Information desks are now fitted with plexiglass screens.
Hygiene and cleaning
Our trains are thoroughly cleaned on a regular basis. Handles and surfaces around doors and at seats get extra-special treatment.
We have doubled the number of mobile cleaning teams working on long-distance trains.
We have added disinfectant to the hand-washing facilities in the on-board toilets of many of our trains (incl. ICE/IC). Similarly, travellers can find disinfectant in a growing number of toilets at our stations.
Contactless ticket inspection
Currently, our employees scan tickets or perform visual checks to confirm validity. Simply present a printed ticket, or use the DB Navigator app on your smartphone to show your digital ticket.
Long-distance travellers can often use the Komfort Check-in function, which does away with the need for a member of a train crew to check tickets in person.
Are you a commuter? You can use the DB Streckenagent app to present your digital subscription ticket contactlessly and check your route whenever you want.
Fresh air
Whenever the necessary technology is present, we open the doors of our S-Bahn trains automatically. This lets you board and disembark without touching any surfaces, and it also lets fresh air circulate in the carriages.
Our vehicles' climate control systems also pump ample fresh air through trains, helping to further minimise the risk of infection.
Passenger information
We assist our passengers by providing important information, for example in the form of announcements on trains and at stations.
At DB Regio, we test the passenger guidance systems on selected local transport routes to ensure they provide the support that travellers need. We have been conducting pilot projects that use markings on trains to ensure passengers can find their way around more easily while also maintaining a suitable level of distance.
Masks
On long-distance and local trains alike, all employees who interact with customers face-to-face wear masks.
DB has an urgent request to make of all passengers: when you are on a train, please be responsible and considerate by wearing a mask (medical-grade or FFP2), maintaining social distance and complying with hygiene regulations.Please note the regulations in force in Germany's different federal states.
Before your journey
Safe travel on local and long-distance trains starts even before you catch your train. We have put a list of tips together for people planning a journey.
The demand indicator on bahn.de and in DB Navigator shows you if more than half of a train's seats are likely to be occupied. In this case, you will see an orange symbol. It is a good idea to plan your journey for outside peak times.
Our DB Navigator app is perfect for making contactless and secure bookings.
We recommend that you maintain as much distance as possible from other people, even while you are on the platform. Avoid crowding around a few doors when the train pulls in. Instead, try to make use of all of the train's doors. Information about safety measures at the station
During travel
We'll get there together. Help us make travelling safe for everyone by sticking to the three main rules: maintain social distance, wear a mask and wash your hands.
Please wear an FFP2 or medical-grade mask when travelling on our long-distance trains.
Anyone who fails to do so can be barred from travelling and be fined. Please note: If you are medically exempt from the obligation to wear a mask, please show your certificate to the train staff. This medical certificate does not have to contain a diagnosis. When on board trains, please be careful and maintain as much distance as possible.
Our train crew helps passengers to find seats so they are spread out for safety on trains. This way, we ensure maximum flexibility for travellers and give them the chance to move seats if necessary.
Contactless passenger information is available before and during travel in our apps, DB Streckenagent and DB Navigator.
We recommend that ICE/IC passengers use the Komfort Check-in service. This lets travellers validate their own ticket so train attendants do not need to inspect it.
Our on-board catering uses contactless payment options for smartphones and debit and credit cards with NFC chips.
Recommended: Germany's Covid-19 tracing app
Developed on behalf of the German government, the Corona-Warn-App is now available for downloading to your smartphone. It is a quick and easy tool for identifying where community transmission is occurring, and it lets you use your phone as a warning system to keep you safe.
