Deutsche Bahn to ban alcohol at all 5,400 German train stations from Oct 15, 2026

Deutsche Bahn wants to ban drinking alcohol at all train stations – to reduce violence. But on trains and in station pubs, drinks will still be served.

Publication date: 2026-07-21 17:49

Drinking is still allowed here: Supply delivery to an on-board restaurant in an ICE at Frankfurt/Main main station. Photo: Joerg Boethling/imago

By Wolfgang Mulke

Deutsche Bahn wants to enforce an alcohol ban at all 5,400 train stations in Germany by October 15. Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla announced: "We are taking action: We are banning drinking alcohol from our stations." Too often, alcohol consumption is linked to growing violence. "It's about protecting our employees and passengers," Palla said.

The reason for the ban is an attack by a passenger on a Bahn ticket inspector last Friday. The Bahn employee fell from the moving train and was seriously injured. The intoxicated perpetrator was arrested but was initially not placed in pre-trial detention.

Now an alcohol ban is intended to ensure greater safety. Deutsche Bahn is invoking its right to enforce house rules. The house rules of the respective stations are now being adapted locally in coordination with authorities and municipalities.

The bans are not entirely new. Drinking beer or spirits is already taboo at 30 stations, for example at the major stations in Cologne, Frankfurt, or Munich. On September 1, the ban will be extended to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Gesundbrunnen, Kiel, and Braunschweig. According to Palla, the experiences so far are clear: "Less violence, less trash."

"How do you handle it with football fans?"

However, passengers or visitors to the stations may continue to indulge in the station restaurants or on the train. The catering sector is exempt from the ban. Purchasing and transporting sealed alcoholic beverages in a bag or backpack also remains permitted. Anyone caught drinking will be issued a ban from the premises or, for repeat offenses, a house ban.

Anyone caught drinking will be issued a ban from the premises or, for repeat offenses, a house ban.

Beer and wine will continue to be served in long-distance trains, a Bahn spokesperson explained. Self-brought alcohol may also be consumed. The situation is different for local transport. Some transport associations prohibit consumption and do not take intoxicated passengers. However, there is no nationwide uniform regulation for this.

The passenger association Pro Bahn confirms the positive experiences with ban zones. However, spokesperson Detlef Neuß considers consistent enforcement of house rules unrealistic. Individuals or small groups can be disciplined this way, he said, "but how do you handle it with a group of 150 football fans?" The demarcation of the Bahn-owned area from adjacent areas is also difficult. "If you announce something boldly," Neuß criticized, "you have to think it through to the end."

The Allianz pro Schiene, on the other hand, supports the ban. It is "an important step so that travelers and passengers can feel safer," said Dirk Flege, managing director of the association. However, sufficient staffing is important, especially for checks on trains. Flege also called for Bahn employees to be included in the category of activities serving the common good, which includes, for example, emergency service personnel. "That means an attack on them can be punished more severely," explained Flege, citing Switzerland as a model.

Harsher penalties are also demanded by EVG deputy chairwoman Cosima Ingenschay. The announced tightening of penalties following the death of a train attendant due to an attack by a passenger is gathering dust in the Ministry of Justice, the unionist criticized.