BERLIN, Aug — Germany’s state-owned national railway operator Deutsche Bahn announced Tuesday a sweeping new policy that will prohibit public alcohol consumption at all stations across the country, a move designed to address rising safety concerns and improve facility cleanliness for both staff and passengers. The policy includes targeted exemptions for on-site hospitality businesses, and will not extend to alcohol consumption or service aboard moving trains.
The alcohol restriction will be rolled out in a phased rollout, with the goal of full implementation at all 5,400 Deutsche Bahn-managed stations nationwide by October 15. Thirty major stations across Germany, including high-traffic hubs in Cologne, Hamburg and Munich, have already enacted the ban. Next month, on September 1, Berlin’s central station and Gesundbrunnen station, along with several other regional hubs, will adopt the measure ahead of the full national expansion.
In an official statement, Deutsche Bahn Chief Executive Evelyn Palla explained the driving force behind the new rule, noting that company data and on-the-ground observations have consistently linked excessive alcohol consumption at stations to increased rates of violent incidents against staff and other travelers. “We have observed too often that violence increases where too much alcohol flows,” Palla said.
Palla specifically referenced a high-profile brutal attack that occurred just one week prior, in which an allegedly intoxicated passenger assaulted a security officer during a routine ticket check. During the altercation, the employee was shoved and fell out of the open door of a moving train, sustaining serious injuries. The unprovoked attack amplified longstanding calls from rail worker unions for stricter policies to curb alcohol-related violence on Deutsche Bahn property.
Violations of the new alcohol ban will carry immediate penalties: rule-breakers caught consuming alcohol in prohibited public areas of stations will be removed from the premises, and repeat offenders may face permanent bans from all Deutsche Bahn station properties.
Notably, the policy carves out key exceptions that avoid disrupting station-based hospitality. Licensed bars, restaurants and caterers located within stations are exempt from the ban, allowing patrons to consume alcohol purchased at these on-site businesses. Travelers will also still be permitted to carry unopened, sealed containers of alcohol in their luggage, personal bags or shopping purchases while in stations. Additionally, the ban does not apply to trains themselves; alcoholic beverages will continue to be sold in dining cars on most long-distance rail services across Germany.
As the most populous country in the European Union, Germany hosts the largest railway network on the continent, according to Deutsche Bahn’s infrastructure division. The network spans approximately 33,400 kilometers (20,750 miles) and supports an average of 50,000 train journeys per day, serving millions of passengers and commuters across the country daily.