{
  "id": 526066,
  "title": "In selected ICE trains: Railways introduces supervised travel for children",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/in-ausgewahlten-ice-bahn-fuhrt-betreutes-fahren-fur-kinder-ein",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-11T02:30:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/dienstleister/in-ausgewaehlten-ice-bahn-fuehrt-betreutes-fahren-fuer-kinder-ein/100246363.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Deutsche Bahn is introducing a supervised travel service for children traveling alone on selected long-distance trains. The service can be booked for children aged 6-14 for an additional fee. During the entire journey, the children will be accompanied by pedagogically trained staff and \"age-appropriately\" occupied, the company announces.\n\nWhen launched, the service, called DB Junior Express, will be available on Fridays and Sundays on individual ICE trains on high-demand routes from Berlin to Munich, Munich to Cologne, and Frankfurt/Main to Hamburg. More routes are planned.\n\nDrop-off at the start, handover at the destination DB Junior Express can be booked from Wednesday (12 August), with the first trains offering this close-knit childcare from 21 August.\n\nThose who have booked the service will hand over their children at a central point in the departure station. At the destination, the escorts will personally hand over the children to the specified collection persons, according to the railway company.\n\nA maximum of 14 children can use this service per connection. The care, including seat reservation, costs 69 euros, and parents must also book a child ticket for the 2nd class for the train.\n\nImportant: In practice, the booking process works in such a way that you first book the group escort and are then guided via a direct link to book the appropriate ticket, as explained on the railway company's website.\n\nChildren from six can travel alone by train Children from the age of six are generally allowed to travel by train without an accompanying person - even before. However, the railway company points out in its service area that if the child travels alone, the duty of care remains with the persons with parental responsibility during the journey, even if they are not on board.\n\nTrain staff do not assume special care and custody obligations for children.",
  "summary": "Putting the offspring alone on the train to grandma's or to the ex-partner: That works, but it's always associated with uncertainty. A new offer from the railway addresses this issue - but not yet nationwide.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}