German commuter operations

Is there a difference between the S-Bahn and the red bi-level "Regional Expresses" in Germany? Do conductors take tickets or is it on the "honor system"?

Thankfully, we have someone on this board from Germany, and I hope he responds. From my very limited knowledge, one problem is that S-bahn is an amorphic term; it means different things in different cities. Now, I made at least three trips on the Munich S-bahn in 1997. Between the airport and downtown, there was no ticket check. On a round trip to Freising, at one station three or four agents in non-descript clothing (mufti) entered the coach. When the doors closed, they displayed their badges and checked tickets. I did about 40 km on the Stuttgart S-bahn, and was never checked.

The RE services differ generally in that:

• they're commonly fast connections between selected public transport nodes only
• they skip a lot of stops of S-Bahn and RB services typically
• they often go beyond single joint-tariff areas
• they almost universally run with a conductor onboard
• they have a far less frequent schedule (usually every 60 or 120 minutes or less, not at all during low-passenger times often)

There are of course exceptions to all of the above points, but that's how they differ in general.

Probly different companies, the regional expresses are probably owned by SBB like in Switzerland and other neighboring Euro countries. They are nice trains, very quiet and clean, except the busy routes and times where you can't find a seat and have to walk through the entire train looking. Every RE train I rode had a conductor as well, and only 1 time did one of the local trains have one on board. Sometimes the RE train conductors want your passport as well, even if your not anywhere near the borders.

Did they look like this?

heyitsme23 wrote:Probly different companies, the regional expresses are probably owned by SBB like in Switzerland and other neighboring Euro countries.

Almost all RE services in Germany are generally provided by Deutsche Bahn. If we're talking the doubledeckers as the OP said, those are all DB (in West Germany at least), and operate as RE and RB trains.
Most S-Bahn networks in Germany (all but two) are owned by Deutsche Bahn as well.

heyitsme23 wrote:Sometimes the RE train conductors want your passport as well, even if your not anywhere near the borders.

The conductor wants to see your passport if your ticket is tied to your identity, as rail passes usually are. You could provide proof of your ID in other forms as well, such as through a driver license.

Kato, which two S-bahn services in Germany are not DB?
Thanks.
Joe McMahon

Well, it's actually more a question of company structure.

The Berlin and Hamburg networks are operated by independant sub-companies of DB, which answer to DB Stadtverkehr, a direct subsidiary of DB.
All other networks are direct subsidiaries of DB Regio instead.

Mostly a result of history: in both Berlin and Hamburg, DB took over other companies that operated these networks previously - while in all other networks, DB was the original company to found the urban transport system there (or DR in the East, merged post-reunification).

---

Btw, for the original question, some S-Bahn networks actually use those red DB doubledecker cars instead of the typical EMUs. These are the East-German networks, i.e. Dresden, Rostock, Leipzig-Halle and Magdeburg.
Part of the amorphic nature i guess

Thanks for the info guys. Right now I'm on German I in school. I hope to study abroad there in the future, so I have become very curious about the rail scene.

Regarding the "honor system" Yes it is, and the trains are boarded randomly by the "Karte Polizei" who will check everyone for a valid and time/date stamped ticket. The consequences of not having such are automatic de-boarding and quite heavy fines. Repeat offenders are hauled off to the local klink. Not a good idea in Germany to try to 'skip the fare'.

The fines and stuff are actually quite low.

The fine is twice the regular fare for your journey, minimum 40 Euro.
Repeat offenders may face criminal proceedings, though you'll have to rack up quite a bit to land in jail. Denying (or not being able to provide) identification papers on being caught will have you processed by the police for a few hours.

Checks are performed by:
- regular conductors (always onboard on the route)
- non-regular conductors (not always onboard)
- "grabbing teams" that pretty much tour the network

The last two can occur both by uniformed staff and plain-clothes "undercover" personnel.

A EU$40 minimum, for what might have been a $2 ticket, to me, is steep. I've seen "denyers" literally dragged off the S bahn in Hamburg for trying to argue with the "Grun Polizei". Of course they were also punkers, looking more like zombies than humans.

the buses in Italy were much more fun . like a pantiomine every time the ticket checkers boarded .

When i was in Munchen for the beer fest , the ticket police were very affable , dealing very well with the hundreds of drunken tiders trying to board the trains afterwards . they were just issuing ordinary tickets i believe , at least i didnt see any one get real upset about a fine , or maybe they were too drunk to relaise they'd just paid alot more than normal .

kato wrote:If we're talking the doubledeckers as the OP said, those are all DB (in West Germany at least), and operate as RE and RB trains.
Most S-Bahn networks in Germany (all but two) are owned by Deutsche Bahn as well.

The (non-DB) Metronom service uses double-deck push pull combinations too. These trans fit more or less in the profile of the DB RE trains

Gijs

Yeah, but they're not red

kato wrote:Yeah, but they're not red

I know , but I wanted to express that there is more to double-deck RE trains as just DB red. What the DB lacks on color, just paint it red , is more than compensated by the miriad of new (passenger) train operators.

As to another matter raised in this discussion: train guards asking for passports it is already addresed. Just some additions from personal expirinces over the years. Some tickets are personal, and have discounts pending the age (e.g. interrail). As far as I draw from my own expirences the passport number must be on Eurodomino tickets and even under the conditions of use it is specified that identification must be shown upon request by the train staff. In 90% of the cases the train guard does not bother to aks for.

Gijs