Deutsche Bahn strokes IC connections: a blow for Thuringia!

Deutsche Bahn strokes IC connections: a blow for Thuringia!

The latest announcement by Deutsche Bahn takes air on the trains and causes excitement in Thuringia. From 2026 the company plans to delete some intercity connections. This was announced in the recently held "railway summit" in Jena. Especially the east of Thuringia could be affected by the changes that could not only affect commuters but also travelers, such as mdr

The planned changes include reducing the trains on the Leipzig route via Jena to Karlsruhe. From December 2026, only two trains should roll here and day, while there are currently still five. In addition, the Intercity of Gera, who drives to North Rhine-Westphalia via Jena, Weimar and Gotha, is exposed to an unspecified time in 2026. The reason for this is the electrification of the section between Weimar and Gera, which should only begin in 2027. The connection between Weimar and Jena is completely stopped for ten months, which entails the need for replacement buses. This also ensures that the end of Rostock via Jena to Vienna, which is completely deleted.

the economic pressure is growing

Prime Minister Mario Voigt (CDU) and Jena Mayor Thomas Nitzsche (FDP) see the reliability of the long -distance connections as crucial for the economic development of the region. During the summit it became clear that both politicians want to build political pressure on the Deutsche Bahn and the federal government in order to maintain the rail connections. One reason for the low passenger numbers could be the Germany ticket, which after its introduction had the regional transport offers boomed, but the intercity trains are hardly utilized.

The Germany ticket has been valid for 49 euros nationwide since Monday and is particularly popular with commuters and students. Especially in Thuringia, one has tried a special regulation that allows the use of the Germany ticket on the Intercity route between Erfurt and Gera via Weimar and Jena. Previously, travelers were able to use these connections with local transport tickets, which is no longer necessary. According to Thuringia , thousands of examples have been sold until the start of the ticket, which indicates a high demand.

limits and possibilities of the Germany ticket

Of the new regulations that enable the Germany ticket, the long -distance transport application will not apply to all trains to the same extent. Where the ticket applies and where not, questions arise that travelers have to ask themselves. Inside Digital indicates that the use of the Germany tickets in the IC and ICE trains is only possible on certain routes. These include the route from Erfurt according to Gera and other selected connections. For many other long -distance trains, however, the ticket remains closed.

Some routes could maintain the commuter flows, while political solutions are required for the rest. The discussion about driving with the Germany ticket in long -distance trains shows how important it is to design traffic in the region as required and to present quality before quantity.