Digitization only works halfway
A week ago I booked a train trip from Hamburg to Munich; the journey from Schleswig-Holstein to Hamburg Hbf should be done by regional transport. The train is scheduled to depart at 6:02 p.m.; Less than 2 minutes before departure, an announcement is made that this train is canceled – after its arrival had already been announced! So I get on the RE 70, which leaves punctually at 6:25 p.m.
The ticket from Hamburg to Munich cannot be cancelled. I’m prepared for the additional cost of booking a replacement connection, but customer service over the phone has other, happier plans. After almost 10 minutes of information that it could take longer because of the many inquiries about the Germany ticket and that long-distance transport offers cannot be booked by telephone, an automated call distribution follows according to the pattern “if you have questions about taking a bicycle with you, say ‘bicycle’ or press 2 ”. After just two(!) questions and after the announcement that the expected waiting time would be less than one(!) minute, I was put through to an employee who assured me that I could catch any later ICE train Munich rise.
This is only becoming more urgent between Elmshorn and Hamburg-Altona. After an emergency stop, the train comes to a standstill. The driver’s announcement reads: “Our onward journey will be delayed by a few minutes because we ran over something, it was probably something metallic.” There is no further clarification, neither now nor later.
I can forget the ICE train in Hamburg at 7:45 p.m. The train connection, which is pointed out to you when you make your booking (please book a cancellable connection for an extra charge; if there is enough extra charge, it won’t be tied to a specific train either), is a toothless tiger.
At the counter in Hamburg Hbf, I find out at 8:11 p.m. that there is a direct train to Munich that is supposed to leave at 10:41 p.m. – but not from the main station, but from Hamburg-Harburg. So eat a little something first (Krakower with mustard and bacon potato salad for an inflated amount of money) and then kill two hours. What could be more obvious than taking the S-Bahn? I take the S31 and drive to Harburg Rathaus; I also pass the Harburg stop and could get off there and wait – but that would be boring. So I drive back the entire route of the S31 and change trains and… stranded in Hammerbrook. Train traffic is interrupted due to a police operation; It’s 10:05 p.m. and the ICE from Harburg is leaving in half an hour, and I don’t want to miss it.
The announcement is made that a rail replacement service with taxis is beginning to be set up; but that could take a while. So I go to the assembly point with some other travelers. No taxis arrive within 5 minutes. We decide to hail one ourselves, so we dial 22456 and are told the number of a local taxi company. After the second announcement, I have the number in my head and it’s on my cell phone via SMS. When we call there, we get the message that a rail replacement service will be set up, all available taxis will be directed here automatically and we should wait. Unfortunately, however, two of the travelers I have joined booked a train to Paris and I booked a train to Munich. These trains don’t just wait.
Luckily we spot a taxi about 100 m away, which is apparently there by chance and doesn’t know anything about the SEV. We’re going towards it; the driver sees us and drives us to Harburg. This takes about 20 minutes; I have enough time to explore the sprawling Harburg train station on foot. The ICE I want to take arrives 9 minutes late and arrives in Munich on time at 06:04.
It should not go unmentioned that the author of these lines managed to get on the ICE, which takes him to Munich on the right day, but (it was the website’s fault, I swear! They tested the new booking system on the Start, which does not accept all the means of payment offered by the established system, which is why, somewhat surprised, he abandons the purchase and switches to the old system.) booking a ticket for the wrong day (1 day early). The train attendant, who draws his attention to his lapse, allows him to redeem a ticket for the train he is traveling on while the journey is in progress. At this point, many thanks again for your goodwill!
Earlier it was said that the originally purchased ticket is not cancellable (and even if it were cancellable, it wouldn’t do any good since the ticket booked by mistake was issued for an earlier day, but cancellation is only possible before the validity date). So the total trip will be one and a half times as expensive as planned. “Paying the lesson” is called something like that.
The return trip from Munich is scheduled to start at 0:01 on Saturday. However, it will be delayed by a full 51 minutes as we still have to wait for late connecting passengers. That would not be worth reporting if the “WifiOnICE” portal were working and I could see if I could still get my connection in Frankfurt. My mobile hotspot doesn’t work either. Is the internet dead? Or is it just resting?
The display on the wagon ceiling reports a travel speed of 240 km/h; We are supposed to arrive in Frankfurt only 4 minutes late. But construction is underway in Cologne and there are only four entry and exit tracks available. This could not be included in the connection information for the travellers. The train driver is on the phone and makes announcements every few minutes, which can be read on the roof of the car about 20 minutes late.
However, since the train connection has been canceled anyway, I don’t bother about it, but decide to stay on the train, which even goes through to Kiel. Since I have a semester ticket and therefore only booked from and to Hamburg, I have to get off in Hamburg. Arrival there is at about 11:50 and not at 10:57 as noted in the timetable.
The onward journey to Kiel is unspectacular.
(Thure Dührsen)