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Erfurt wheelchair user remains stranded in Dresden after train journey!
A wheelchair user from Erfurt experienced insufficient accessibility and massive delays on his journey from Prague to Erfurt.
Erfurt wheelchair user remains stranded in Dresden after train journey!
A traveler from Erfurt, Sven S., recently experienced an adventurous train journey from Prague via Dresden to Erfurt, which was anything but smooth. He originally planned a travel time of around six hours, but in the end he was on the road for over 24 hours. The cause? Numerous delays and, above all, a lack of support for wheelchair users made his return much more difficult than it should have been. Sven S. arrived in Dresden 100 minutes late, and the situation escalated when he discovered after 10:30 p.m. that no help was available to operate the lift.
Forced to spend the night in Dresden-Neustadt, Sven S. still expressed his thanks to the service staff. However, he emphasized that the system does not yet work optimally for travelers with reduced mobility. “Accessibility should not be a luxury,” is his urgent appeal.
The importance of accessibility on trains
In a statement, Deutsche Bahn expressed its understanding and regretted the obstacles that Sven had to experience during his journey. Deutsche Bahn has done a lot in recent years to make travel easier for people with mobility restrictions. Information about accessibility in stations and trains is easily accessible. Travelers can Mobility service center Contact us to request individual travel assistance.
According to DB, over 828,000 assistance services were provided in stations and trains in 2024. The offer ranges from assistance with getting on and off to information about suitable trains and the accessibility of train stations. Help can be requested up to 8 p.m. the day before; 24 hours' notice is required for international trips.
How to request help
The mobility service center can be reached from Monday to Friday between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. On weekends and public holidays, helpers are available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Contact options can be found by telephone at 030/652-12-888 and by email at msz@deutschebahn.com. Deutsche Bahn also has its website bahn.de/barrier-free and the DB Bahnhof app live new ways. These not only provide real-time information about departures, but also an easy way to request help and receive information about accessibility at the train stations.
For travelers with special needs, it is essential to take advantage of available offers early. Mobility should be accessible to all and it is important that such systems continue to be optimized to ensure hassle-free travel.
It remains to be hoped that Deutsche Bahn and other transport companies will continue to intensify their efforts to improve accessibility, because everyone who wants to travel should have the opportunity to do so, regardless of their limitations.