This is not how many travelers imagined their start into the long Pentecost weekend!
In several regions of Germany there were delays, cancellations – and even a temporary evacuation on Friday. The reason: many regional trains were hopelessly overcrowded.
︎ In Lower Saxony, Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein, Deutsche Bahn reported an exceptionally high load on several trains on Twitter. “Carriage cannot be guaranteed. Bicycles cannot be taken along,” it said. Trains between Hanover and the North Sea coast were particularly affected.
But a train from Bremerhaven to Osnabrück also had to take a longer break in Bremen due to overcrowding, said a railway spokesman. Conductors and federal police officers went from carriage to carriage to persuade passengers to switch to other trains.
The train station in Norddeich Mole. There were overcrowded trains on routes in Lower Saxony and BremenPhoto: Sina Schuldt/dpa
The platforms at Berlin-Gesundbrunnen station were also bursting at the seams on Friday afternoon. A regional express in the direction of Rostock had to be stopped due to overcrowding, a spokesman said.
The passengers were asked via loudspeaker announcement to get off the “much too full” train: “Get off voluntarily, please use the S-Bahn. If not enough people get off voluntarily, we unfortunately have to have the train partially cleared,” a train attendant called to push behind: “Then the police will decide who has to get off.” After a good hour, the train was able to continue its journey.
At Pentecost, many people from all over Germany left for the North and Baltic Seas. The nine-euro ticket, which has been valid since Wednesday, will place an additional burden on the regional connections. The railway had already increased its offer in view of the high number of passengers.
The first 9-euro tourists had already arrived on Sylt on Wednesday and Thursday, as previously “threatened”. The railways and tourism companies are also expecting increased crowds in the south-west of Germany, in the popular travel regions around the Black Forest or Lake Constance.
A railway spokesman advised passengers to find out about the utilization of the planned connection and, if necessary, to switch to alternatives.
