After the passage of hurricane “Ylenia”, Germany is preparing for the next winter storm: From Friday afternoon, hurricane “Zeynep” with possibly even stronger gusts should hit the northern half in particular. The German Weather Service (DWD) expected wind speeds of more than 140 kilometers per hour and issued extensive storm warnings, Deutsche Bahn gradually stopped operating in large parts of the country from Friday afternoon.
The sometimes higher wind speeds could lead to renewed restrictions on rail and air traffic. Deutsche Bahn asks its passengers on the official website to find out about their connection on bahn.de or in the in-house app DB Navigator before starting their journey.
Where will rail traffic be stopped?
The stop of regional traffic affects the entire federal state of Schleswig-Holstein, Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Bremen as well as large parts of North Rhine-Westphalia and Brandenburg. In addition, according to the railways, traffic on certain regional routes in Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland and Saxony-Anhalt was also suspended. In some cases, emergency bus services should be set up.
The connections in the affected areas should be phased out from the afternoon, but in some cases maintained until the early evening. In the metropolis of Hamburg, subways and suburban trains on individual lines in the outer districts should also be switched to substitute bus services for safety reasons.
Deutsche Bahn warned of traffic disruptions even in areas not directly affected by the storm and did not rule out further route closures depending on the situation. A company spokesman called the storm warnings “serious” and called on travelers to postpone trips if possible. Goodwill regulations apply again, tickets purchased remain valid.
FOCUS Online advises: Use the Bahn app to stay up to date and be informed quickly about restrictions or alternative routes. Google Maps or the Apple Maps app are not always up to date.
Who pays when the train doesn’t run?
the Deutsche Bahn not to blame for the weather. However, for safety reasons, she can decide to leave the trains at the stations. This leads to timetable deviations and cancellations. Connecting trains are therefore also affected. Travelers should always check before departure whether their train is running at all.
If the weather is too uncertain for you, you can cancel free of charge or postpone the trip free of charge up to and including February 26th. Deutsche Bahn writes on its website “You can still use your ticket up to seven days after the end of the disruption (February 27th, 2022). You can simply board the train, the train connection is cancelled.”
These rules apply:
In the event of a train cancellation, Deutsche Bahn usually refunds the entire ticket price.
In the event of a delay of one hour, the passenger will receive a 25 percent refund of the ticket price. Half of the ticket price is available for delays of 120 minutes or more. At the train station or in customer service, employees can tell you exactly how to get the refund. You can also use the Bahn app, there is a corresponding form there.
If you have any questions, call Deutsche Bahn customer service on 08000 99 66 33.
What if my flight is cancelled?
Flights are also canceled due to the violent gusts of wind in the north. As a precaution, Lufthansa canceled 20 flights on Thursday alone. In extreme cases, this could also happen at the weekend. Lufthansa is initially planning without further cancellations, a company spokesman told the Aero industry service on Thursday. FOCUS Online says: In large parts of northern Germany, there may be cancellations due to the hurricane low.
In the event of a storm, airlines must always provide reasonable alternative transport. For shorter distances, the airline then pays for the train ticket. If there is no train either, the money for the flight ticket is returned.
If the flight is postponed to the next day, the airline will cover the hotel costs. If there are only delays (more than two hours) there are vouchers for free drinks and snacks.
Which G-rule applies in the hotel?
Those stranded in a city due to weather and unable to continue may need to stay in a hotel or hostel. In view of the current corona situation, however, there are restrictions.
Since the stay is an emergency and a “non-tourist accommodation stay” is involved, the 3G rule applies in principle. Those who have not been vaccinated must therefore present a negative corona test. According to the current situation, 2G Plus applies in some federal states such as Hamburg or Bremen. However, it is unlikely that unvaccinated people would have to stay outside in such a situation. As a gesture of goodwill, 3G could also apply here.
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