Deutsche Bahn Implements Alcohol Ban at More Stations
Two Berlin train stations are affected. Soon, it will hit all 5,400 of them in all of Germany.
Deutsche Bahn, the German railway company, is extending its alcohol ban to eight additional stations starting Tuesday. The new locations include Berlin’s central station and Berlin-Gesundbrunnen, joining the ranks of four other cities already under the rule. Kiel and Braunschweig are among the stations adding the ban. The alcohol ban is already in effect at over 30 stations nationwide, covering major hubs such as Bonn, Bremen, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Cologne, and Munich.
Deutsche Bahn claims that the implemented ban has brought about positive outcomes, such as reduced trash, fewer alcohol-related conflicts, and less violent incidents, as evidenced by the situation at Hamburg’s main station. The company expects these benefits to continue, with the ban reaching all 5,400 stations by October 15th.
However, the full enforcement of the rule remains a challenge. Deutsche Bahn’s security service will handle enforcement, but the company lacks the resources for comprehensive monitoring. Federal police, responsible for station security, face staffing shortages, meaning they are unlikely to fill this gap. As a result, federal police will likely only intervene during conflicts.
Deutsche Bahn acknowledges the enforcement gap but remains confident in the ban’s effectiveness, noting that stations under the ban have seen positive results without heavy-handed policing. On Bundesliga match days, when hundreds of thousands of soccer fans travel by train, carrying alcohol, Deutsche Bahn plans to enforce the ban "with a sense of proportion" using visible police and security presence to de-escalate any situations if needed.
It's important to note that alcohol will still be sold in dining cars on long-distance trains, and passengers can bring alcohol onboard as long as it doesn’t disturb others. Regional transit rules vary, with some networks, including in Hamburg, Cologne, Munich, and Nuremberg, already prohibiting alcohol consumption on regional trains. Any passenger deemed a danger to others or to order and safety on board can be removed from the train, irrespective of the specific rule in place.
Written by urgent.news from The Berlin Spectator's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
