Due to soaring petrol prices driven by the Iran war and the oil crisis, many Easter‑break travelers are opting for train travel. Deutsche Bahnen has recorded a massive surge in ticket bookings and is responding by adding special services.
“Germany travels by rail over Easter” said chief executive Evelyn Palla in an interview with “Bild am Sonntag”. “I’m pleased that more people are booking than expected – certainly thanks also to the high fuel costs”. A railway spokesperson added that long‑distance bookings on several days are in the double‑digit percentage range above expectations. The routes with the greatest demand are Berlin-Cologne, Berlin-Munich and Frankfurt-Cologne.
An up‑to‑date survey by INSA for “Bild am Sonntag” shows that more than a third (36 %) of respondents are scaling back their Easter travel plans because of petrol costs, while 23 % are sticking to their original plans.
To manage the crowds, the railway is deploying extra capacity from the weekend onward. “We are adding additional trains to Sylt, the Black Forest and up to Lake Constance” Palla stated. Sylt will see more Intercity (IC) trains, including direct services from North Rhine‑Westphalia. Those heading to Lake Constance can now take a new direct ICE from Cologne to Konstanz. Internationally, starting 2 April, the “Adria Express” (ÖBB‑Railjet) will run directly from Munich to Rimini and Ancona.
Despite the additional offerings, the railway warns of potential bottlenecks. Good Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday are expected to be “almost full”. Palla advises that outside peak hours there are still free seats and affordable tickets, for example on Easter Saturday or Easter Sunday. Even over Easter, construction work is underway on several lines, notably between Leipzig-Halle, around Hannover and between Frankfurt-Fulda. On the route between Baden‑Baden and Freiburg, buses will replace train services.