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Because fuel is so expensiveMega rush for train tickets at Easter
Passengers wait for their train at Hamburg Central Station.
picture alliance / pressefoto_korb / Micha Korb
Spring is here, Easter is just around the corner. The desire to travel is increasing among many Germans. This can also be felt at Deutsche Bahn. The demand for tickets there is increasing significantly. This can be due to the weather and holidays, but it can also have something to do with world politics.
Against the background of high gasoline prices due to the Iran war, Deutsche Bahn is recording increasing demand at Easter. As a railway spokeswoman told “Bild am Sonntag”, bookings for long-distance transport on individual days are “double-digit percentages above expectations”. The Berlin-Cologne, Berlin-Munich and Frankfurt-Cologne connections are particularly in demand.
“I am pleased that more are being booked than expected – certainly also because of the high fuel prices,” said railway boss Evelyn Palla to “Bild am Sonntag”. As of this weekend, the railway is already running additional trains “towards Sylt, the Black Forest and up to Lake Constance”.
The railway has not yet been able to say whether demand at Easter will probably be higher than last year. “Since the Easter days are different every year, comparisons with previous years are difficult,” explained a spokeswoman.
The company has been pointing to higher demand since the beginning of March, which is presumably due to the increased gasoline prices. For long-distance transport, an increase in bookings of ten percent was reported on individual days.
Despite the additional offer now being expanded for Easter, the railway warned of bottlenecks. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday are described as “almost closed”, according to “Bild am Sonntag”. According to Palla, there are still “free seats and cheap tickets outside of peak times”, for example on Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday”.
However, according to the railway, construction will also take place at Easter, which has repeatedly led to delays in the past. According to the information, routes between Leipzig and Halle, around Hanover and between Frankfurt and Fulda are affected. Buses instead of trains also run between Baden-Baden and Freiburg.
According to a survey by the opinion research institute Insa on behalf of “Bild am Sonntag”, more than a third (36 percent) of those surveyed want to limit their Easter trip because of the high fuel costs. 23 percent are sticking to their travel plans. Insa surveyed 1,003 people on March 26th and 27th. The possible error rate is plus/minus 3.1 percentage points.
Sources used: as/AFP
