When You Might Have to Pay a 60 Euro Fine Despite Having a Train Ticket

Paying a fine despite having a train or bus ticket? Yes, it's possible. An obscure rule can lead to a 60 Euro fine during an inspection. bettercities.net explains.

For many travelers, their phone has long become their ticket. However, the ability to book online tickets comes with a risk.

It is possible to spontaneously purchase a ticket for the train, commuter train, or bus just before departure. But this could come at a high price: If you buy so spontaneously, you may face a fine of 60 Euros during an inspection.

A recent incident is causing a stir online. A Reddit user revealed that he had to pay a 60 Euro fine even though he had a ticket. He said he ran to the train and bought a ticket 'shortly before boarding', only to be informed by the conductor that the ticket was not yet valid and was fined. A timer above the QR code showed just a few seconds left.

Indeed, when purchasing a ticket for regional transport via the DB Navigator, there is a two-minute countdown. This helps the train staff verify the purchase time. Mobile tickets must be purchased before the journey starts. As long as the countdown hasn't ended, a ticket is 'not fare valid', explained a Deutsche Bahn spokesperson to bettercities.net. This situation is referred to as 'gray riding'.

Whether a fine is issued with just five seconds remaining, as described above, is at the discretion of the inspection staff. It also depends on how long the train has been in motion.

However, if you travel on ICE or IC, you can purchase later: For long-distance travel, Deutsche Bahn indicates that an online ticket can be booked up to ten minutes, even in case of delay, after departure on bahn.de or in the DB Navigator app. The requirement is that there is more than ten minutes of travel time between the boarding station and the next stop.

For trains where an unusually high occupancy is expected, this rule does not apply. In such cases, tickets cannot be purchased after departure. Travelers should book a flexible fare for the next possible connection in these instances. Additionally, a reservation for bicycle storage needs to be made before boarding.

It's not uncommon that a short period must lapse after buying an online ticket before it becomes valid. Other transit companies also impose a countdown for digitally purchased tickets. For example, with the Hamburg Transport Association (HVV), it takes 90 seconds from purchase.

During this time, the ticket appears grayed out in the HVV app. Additionally, these apps display a countdown, making the time remaining until validity clearly visible.

The Berlin Public Transport (BVG) informs that BVG mobile tickets activate for travel 60 seconds after purchase without further action needed. During this time, the barcode remains grayed out and unreadable. The ticket becomes valid and readable only after this countdown.

In the Rhine-Sieg Transport Association (VRS), the mobile ticket becomes valid significantly faster. It should be available on the mobile device within 30 seconds and is immediately valid.

bettercities.net