Travelling by train during the GDL strike

Due to the GDL strike, there will be massive restrictions and cancellations of a train service from Thursday evening, 07.12.2023 up to and including Friday 08.12.2023.

If you have booked a journey during this period, you now have the following options:

  • You can postpone your journey and use your ticket at a later date. The for train selected is cancelled. The ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination, even if the route alignment is changed. Seat reservations can be cancelled free of charge. There is no specific time limit for later use. For example, you can travel with your original ticket in 3 days' time, in the coming week or in 2 months' time. Just as you want to organise your new travel plans.
  • As part of a special arrangement, you can also bring forward your journey and travel as early as Thursday, 7 December 2023. In this case, we recommend that you start your journey early in the day to ensure that you arrive at your destination in the early evening (6 pm), as the first restrictions are expected before the official start of the strike at 10 pm.
  • Your train has been cancelled or will be cancelled and you want to cancel your journey completely? In this case, you can cancel your journey and get a full refund of the full fare for your ticket without any deductions.

You will find detailed information below.

Postponing the journey - using the ticket at a later date

For passengers who wish to postpone their journey planned from Thursday evening, 07.12.2023 up to and including Friday, 08.12.2023 due to the GDL strike, the following applies:

  • You can use your ticket at a later date. There is no specific time limit here. For example, you can travel with your original ticket in 3 days, in the coming week or in 2 months' time. 
  • Passengers with saver and super saver fares are no longer restricted to using the train printed on their tickets.
  • The ticket will be valid for the journey to the original destination, even if the route is different.
  • For your onward journey, you can use another train that does not require a reservation.
  • If you have a ticket for use on local transport (RE, RB, IRE, S-Bahn) but want to use a more expensive service (e.g. long-distance train such as an IC/EC or ICE), you must first buy the necessary ticket.
    You can then have the costs reimbursed via the Passenger Rights Service Centre. This regulation does not apply to substantially discounted tickets (e.g. Deutschlandticket, regional day tickets, day ticket for Germany).
  • Seat reservations can be cancelled free of charge. Please contact your DB sales point to do so.
  • The regulation applies to tourist tickets, Rail & Fly and long-distance group travel tickets.
  • International tickets: The arrangement for using tickets at a later date also applies to travellers with international DB tickets, both for travel to and from Germany or through Germany in transit.
    Passengers are no longer restricted to using the train printed on their tickets. The ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination, even via a different route, provided that you travel with the same carriers as indicated on the ticket. Seat reservations can be cancelled free of charge.
  • This arrangement also applies to tickets sold by foreign rail companies (e.g. ÖBB, SBB, SNCF, etc.) for a journey within Germany or a cross-border connection to/from/through Germany.
  • Tip for international travel: You can use your original ticket to travel abroad until 15.12.2023 without any problems. You can also travel later with your original ticket. However, we recommend that you obtain a certificate for this later trip from a DB travel centre (DB Reisezentrum) and use it together with your original ticket. This will make it easier to check your ticket abroad.
  • You must book a new reservation for any trains on which they are required (e.g. to France). This new reservation is free of charge and is issued according to availability. Please contact your DB sales point or a DB Travel Centre. 
  • Other passenger regulations apply, for example compensation payments for delays of 60 minutes or more.

Goodwill arrangement: bringing forward the trip

As part of a special arrangement, you also have the option of bringing forward your journey planned for Thursday evening, 07.12.2023 and Friday, 08.12.2023 and travelling earlier on Thursday, 07.12.2023.

In this case, we recommend travelling early in the day to ensure that you arrive at your destination in the early evening (6 pm), as the first restrictions can be expected before the official start of the strike at 10 pm. The following applies:

  • The train selected for saver fares and super saver fares is cancelled. The ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination. You can use another train that does not require a reservation for your onward journey.
  • The regulation also applies to all tickets of the German tariff for local transport as well as for tourist tickets and group travel tickets for long-distance transport .
  • The City function is not covered by this goodwill gesture. To travel to/from the station at your departure or destination, you must purchase a local public transport ticket on the new day of travel.
  • Seat reservations can be cancelled free of charge. Please contact your DB sales outlet for this.
  • International tickets: The goodwill rule for using tickets at an earlier time also applies to travellers with international DB tickets, both for journeys abroad and for journeys from abroad to Germany or through Germany in transit. The for train selected is cancelled. The ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination, even with a changed route alignment, provided that the same carriers are used as indicated on the ticket. Seat reservations can be cancelled free of charge.

The regulation also applies to tickets of foreign distribution railways (e.g. ÖBB, SBB, SNCF...), for a domestic German or a cross-border connection to/from/through Germany.

New reservations must be booked for trains requiring reservations (e.g. to France). This new reservation is free of charge and will be issued subject to availability. Please contact your DB sales outlet/ DB Travel Centre for this.

Travellers with Nightjet tickets can also use DB day trains and the EC cooperation trains via the Brenner Pass to Venice if the NJ is cancelled due to the strike. NJ tickets for the "De Luxe" comfort category are valid in 1st class, all others in 2nd class.

Passenger rights in the event of train cancellation or delay: ticket reimbursement

If your train is cancelled or arrives at the destination station with a delay of more than 60 minutes, you have the following rights:

  • If your train is cancelled, we will refund the full fare without deductions.
  • You also have this right to reimbursement if you expect to arrive at your destination station with a delay of more than 60 minutes.
  • If you have only travelled part of the booked route, you can have the unused part reimbursed.
  • If you have abandoned the journey while travelling and returned to the station of departure, you can also get a full refund of the fare.
  • The cancellation conditions of the tariff also apply at all times. Further information on how to exchange or cancel your ticket or reservation can be found on the following information page.

 

How to assert your claims for reimbursement and compensation:

  • If you used your customer account to buy your ticket digitally, you can submit your claim using the online form in your account. This option is available on bahn.de and in the DB Navigator app.

    Select the trip for which you would like to submit the compensation claim. In the detailed view of the order for your trip, go to "Passenger rights", click on "Applying for compensation", and follow the further steps. If you did not travel, please select the second option "Did not take journey" for the question "What happened during your journey?".

    Please note that the application button will only appear when the validity period of the trip has been reached. It is therefore not possible to submit the application before the date of travel.
  • You can also submit a compensation claim by sending a passenger rights form to us by post. This form is available from staff on board trains, the DB Information desk, the DB Travel Centre and online on bahn.de.

    If you did not travel, please tick the item "I have not started my journey because of this delay or have abandoned it at the following station ..." under "Details of your journey". Fill in all the other necessary information accordingly.

Further information on how to apply and what compensation you are entitled to in the event of train delays, missed connections or cancelled trains can be found here.

Help and contact

Do you want to know more? We will be happy to help you.

Would you like to find out more about the regulations for the onset of winter in southern Germany?

All information can be found here.