Following the attack on a train driver by a heavily intoxicated passenger on 17 July, the general management of the Deutsche Bahn has made a radical decision: alcohol will be completely banned from October in all 5,400 German train stations…
The announcement was made by the CEO of DB, Evelyn Palla. She explained that, " We are taking action: we are banning alcohol consumption from our stations. Too often, we have seen that where alcohol is consumed in excess, violence also increases. The violent and absurd assault on July 17th reminded us of this once again. That is why we are introducing this ban today. We take safety very seriously. This is about protecting our employees and our passengers. ".
To date, only 30 German train stations are already subject to this alcohol ban. These include Berlin Ostbahnhof and Zoologischer Garten stations, as well as the central stations of Bonn, Cologne, Dortmund, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Essen, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Munich, and Saarbrücken. From 1 September, the central stations of Berlin, Brunswick (Braunschweig), and Kiel will be added. The experience is conclusive, emphasises Evelyn Palla. Less alcohol means less violence and less litter.".
The DB legislation, which applies within its internal regulations, shall be adapted in consultation with local authorities, competent bodies and administrations. This is particularly true concerning the areas surrounding train stations, which are at risk of becoming focal points for all the negative consequences associated with alcohol consumption.
Eating establishments in stations are not affected by this ban. Travellers will also be able to continue to carry alcohol in their luggage or purchases, provided that the bottles remain sealed.
The new regulation will therefore be gradually rolled out by 15 October 2026. In the event of an infringement of this prohibition, offenders will be subject to expulsion from the premises. In the event of a repeat offence, Deutsche Bahn will issue a permanent ban from its stations.
