Deutsche Bahn is introducing a supervised travel offer for unaccompanied children on selected long-distance Intercity-Express (ICE) trains. The service, named DB Junior Express, is designed for children aged 6 to 14 and can be booked for an additional charge.
Under the new program, children are handed over at a central point at the departure station. According to Deutsche Bahn, the carers will personally hand the children over to specified pick-up persons at the destination.
Deutsche Bahn stated that children in the offer are accompanied throughout the journey by pedagogically trained staff and kept busy in an age-appropriate manner.
Service details and availability
The DB Junior Express service is bookable starting Wednesday, 12 August, with the first trains scheduled to run from 21 August.
At launch, Deutsche Bahn said the service will be available on Fridays and Sundays on individual ICE trains on the Berlin–Munich, Munich–Cologne, and Frankfurt/Main–Hamburg routes. The company stated that further routes are planned.
Maximum number of children allowed per connection
A maximum of 14 children can use the offer per connection. The supervised service, which includes a seat reservation, costs 69 euros; parents must also book a 2nd-class child ticket for the train.
According to Deutsche Bahn's website, the booking process first secures the group supervision, followed by a direct link to book the corresponding ticket.
While children aged 6 and over have in principle always been allowed to travel by rail without an accompanying person, Deutsche Bahn clarified that if a child travels alone, the duty of care remains with the legal guardians during the journey, even if they are not on board. The company noted that on-board staff do not take on special welfare or guardianship duties for children.
