Students suffer from train chaos: travel costs to Rostock explode!

Students suffer from train chaos: travel costs to Rostock explode!

There is great anticipation for the study day at the University of Rostock, but the planning of the students at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Gymnasium Bergen is overshadowed by unexpected difficulties. From October 1, 2025, the students are supposed to travel to Rostock by train, but the costs and the current traffic situation are casting a shadow on the project. Loud Baltic Sea newspaper The students and their teachers were surprised by the enormous travel costs, which have increased dramatically due to the current construction work at Rövershagen train station and the resulting need for replacement rail services.

The construction work, which will take place between September 6th and November 7th, will result in the trains between Rostock and Gelbensande being replaced by buses. This not only increases travel time, but also significantly affects prices. Teacher Norbert Benedict criticizes the precarious circumstances that have driven up the originally planned total price of 320 euros. With the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania ticket, which is only valid from 9 a.m., the costs rise to over 1200 euros for group tickets.

Problems with school transportation

At a time when the state of school transport has often been criticized, Wilfried Kramer from the German Transport Club considers the situation to be intolerable. “It is frustrating when students cannot take advantage of their educational opportunities because mobility is not guaranteed,” says Kramer. Particularly problematic is the simultaneous closure of the routes from Hamburg to Sassnitz and Berlin, which has repeatedly caused confusion and inconvenience in recent years.

Back to Norbert Benedict, who considers whether it wouldn't be better to charter his own bus in order to avoid the high costs. However, the project is under pressure because the originally planned budget is being far exceeded by students and parents. Difficult decisions lie ahead.

Legal basis

In Germany, responsibility for school transport lies with the federal states and the relevant school authorities. There are clear regulations regarding the transportation of students. Loud Advocard School authorities are obliged to transport students under reasonable conditions or, if necessary, to reimburse the costs. But the right to free transport depends on the distance to the school as well as the grade level and type of school.

For high school students, like this group at the high school, there is often no entitlement to free transport, which makes the situation more complicated for many families, especially when transport costs increase exorbitantly due to exceptional circumstances such as these construction works. Many people were hoping for relief with the Germany Ticket, which was also recently reduced for students, but the regulations can often become an additional burden.

The annoying problem of school transport remains a hotly debated topic, and the parents of students at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Gymnasium are fervently hoping for timely solutions and reliable planning security to make learning easier for their children.

The situation reveals the challenges of public transport, considering the uncertain waiting times and the need for students to be able to reach the nearest stops. It remains to be seen how those responsible will respond to these campus concerns.

For more information on ticket regulations, please visit the official website German railways to find out the necessary details about the MEcklenburg-Western Pomerania ticket.