Every second train in Germany arrives late, in a different formation or not at all at the station. However, if a prominent person is announced on board, Deutsche Bahn will do everything it can to ensure that nothing goes wrong. This is the conclusion of research by the German news magazine “Der Spiegel”.
As several railway employees have reported to the “Mirror”, the special service works as follows: If a prominent person has made a booking, all relevant departments are informed – the driver, the train driver, the employees in the restaurant on board, as well as in signal boxes and control centers.
green wave
The affected train is specially tested and cleaned (inside and outside). In addition, it may only be shipped on the route “with all necessary consumables, with working technical components, in the correct carriage order and with permanent personnel”, as the “Spiegel” quotes an internal document of Deutsche Bahn.
If there is even the slightest doubt that the train is defective, it will be replaced before departure if possible.
When the train moves across the country, it must do so as quickly and smoothly as possible. To ensure this, the signal boxes are instructed to give priority to guiding the train with the VIP through the country.
That means: Green wave! Under no circumstances should the train be stationary on the track. Instead, other trains have to wait.
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Corporate Directive 199.0001 is responsible for the special treatment of politicians and other celebrities. It bears the title “Travel under special regulations” and has been in force since February 1, 2020.
It includes descriptions such as: “The VIP travel service of Deutsche Bahn AG is exclusively responsible for ensuring that trips with prominent personalities and high-profile train journeys with the group board members are planned with particular precision and executed successfully. This should be the image of Deutsche Bahn Strengthen AG as a transport company.”
The document also states that the VIP travel companion has the right to schedule an unscheduled stop, provide payment for “catering services” or cancel any speaker announcements.
VIP rule under criticism
Upon request, Deutsche Bahn confirmed to the “Spiegel” that the special treatment was being applied “to meet the special protection and security needs of exposed public figures”.
Board members of Deutsche Bahn are exempt from this. Apart from that, it remains unclear who really counts as a VIP.
In addition, according to Deutsche Bahn, the arrangement is “as part of the public timetable”, there are no special stops. “The passengers also travel at their own expense with regular tickets,” says Deutsche Bahn by “Spiegel”.
But the special treatment is controversial. Stefan Gelbhaar, member of the board of directors of the railway, told the “Spiegel” on Sunday: “The railway is for everyone. […] The special rules for celebrities should be abolished immediately.”
Everyone is equal in Switzerland
According to the SBB, there is “no preferential treatment for individual travelers” in Switzerland. As a rule, the SBB would not even know whether a prominent person was traveling by train.
Upon request, it further reads: “For SBB, safety, reliability and punctuality are always at the forefront, no matter who travels with us.” In Switzerland everyone is equal.
Exceptions are, according to the SBB, extra trains, for example during the official journey of the Federal Council or the journey of the new President of the National Council. There may be “selective prioritization”. However, these are always “focused on the stability of the general timetable”.
In concrete terms, this means that if the train is brought forward with the Federal Council on board, no chain reaction may occur.
Soource :Watson
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
