Why German Public Transport Is 'Special' | Germany In A Nutshell

Germany is synonymous with BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes & Co.- but did you know that public transport is also becoming increasingly more important?

DW reporter Hannah Hummel drives through Berlin explaining the German transportation system. Why is it important to use? What are the keywords you need to use it effectively? How does it all work in the first place and what should you keep in mind? What role does public transport play in combating climate change? Finally, what are some of the unique quirks that you'll only find in the German public transportation system?

We will take a closer look: How does public transportation work in Germany and how important is it for Germans?

#Train #Germany #Railway

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CREDITS
Report: Hannah Hummel & Shaheen Welling
Camera & Edit: Neven Hillebrands
Supervising Editor: Ruben Kalus

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CHAPTERS

00:00 INTRO
00:46 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION 101
01:58 A BRIEF HISTORY
02:18 DEEP DIVE
04:16 EIN BISSCHEN DEUTSCH
04:43 INSIDE STORIES

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[dweuromaxx]

What is public transport like in your country? 🚋

[gingersnap]

Coming from Ohio, USA my life was totally CHANGED when I moved to Berlin and suddenly had access to well-connected public transportation. As much as I can complain about it being late or construction works, I am so thankful just to have the possibility to easily navigate without having to own and drive a car (especially in a big city 😅). I really think it is a great equalizer, when we all have equal chance to get to a job interview or to the doctor we need. I would truly miss public transportation if I ever left.

[pkorobase]

It's now decided we get a 49€ flatrate for public transport in germany, after the huge success of the 9€-Ticket. Sounds like an end to the ticket jungle.

[m.m.]

Quick reminder: Berlin is not representative of Germany. In most cities it's ok-ish, but the buses and trains don't run nearly as frequent, the network is not as dense, the operating hours are shorter...

[troychavez]

I loved my time in Germany. I'll never hesitate to settle down there.

[michaelz.]

s-bahn in berlin is not the same as s-bahn somewhere else.
s-bahn in berlin is another metro-style railway like the u-bahn which stops very often like every 500m whereas in other parts of germany the s-bahn connects the suburbs to the city center and the distance between stops is every 2-5 km.
When I visited cities in Germany i didn`t often use the s-bahn but moreoften the u-bahn except in berlin where it works like another u-bahn.

[h.b.]

As a Canadian living in Germany, I always smile when Germans complain about their rail network and inter-city trains. It is one of the most extensive, reliable networks in the world, with clean, efficient trains reaching almost every small town in the country. I find it spectacular! It's a model for the world to replicate if we are serious about climate action.

[lazrseagull]

Nice video, although I have to say that it's to be expected for a big city like Berlin to have a good public transport network.

What a lot of people probably don't know, is that even places like Karlsruhe and Bielefeld (both similar in size to Brighton) have a dense tram network with a few subway stations under the town centre and most parts town are a short walk from a tram stop.

Over 20 German cities have some kind of subway or subway/tram hybrid network and more than 30 further cities have street-level trams, often with their own lanes and off-road segments. Wuppertal has a hanging monorail that's about 120 years old.

[rajeebbarma]

I cannot thank enough to the German public transport. I used to own motorcycles, cars, jeeps, tractors in India but after using public transport, I have discovered the best mode of transport that is walking. It is the most underrated mode of transport and is honestly the best feel of freedom.

[banji]

Amazing production; from the sound, to the BGM & of course, the presentation! Keep up the awesome job guys!

[DarkRuins]

love the background music and filming style of this video. hannah, as always, is a ray of sunshine!

[thekejofglory]

Public transportation in the Philippines sucks! We currently only have three train lines for a 20-million people metropolis. Connecting stations from one line to another can take a 20-minute walk. Our government prioritizes highways which only worsens traffic in the long-run and makes Manila ugly. It's an American imprint on the Philippines. I was blessed that while I was in Germany I was able to experience the €9 ticket. I had meetings from 9am to 6pm in Berlin, but I was able to explore Berlin 5am onwards into far areas such as Köpenick, Spandau, and Marzahn and still get to my 9am meetings on time. I had a free day where I was even able to travel to Poland because the guys at Deutsche Bahn told me that the train to Frankfurt (Oder) was covered by the €9 ticket. I was even able to criss-cross Berlin and even went to Potsdam. Berlin was so walkable that at one point, my pedometer recorded more than 36, 000 steps for one day. I heard Germans tend to complain about the infamous Deutsche Bahn delays (I experienced a two-hour delay on my ride from Berlin to Amsterdam, and I hope improvements would come soon), but compared to our country, what I experienced in Germany was really a blessing. Hoping for better public transportation for Germany and for all countries! I miss Germany A LOT. Hope I could come back soon!

[jdmagicmusic]

we have great transit in Hamburg, there is virtually nowhere in the city and suburbs you can't reach by public transit

[johnraggett]

I live in Leipzig and have an annual pass. I can travel on the trams, busses and local trains - even to the airport. It means that for about six months a year, I travel for free. Don't need a car - yippeee.

[iij]

I once travelled by train from Budapest to Hamburg (for €17!), and got my jacket and wallet stolen inside the train at Budapest Keleti just seconds before the train departed.

The train passed through 3 countries and each had its own ticket conductor. I managed to scramble some money from neighbouring passengers who witnessed the incident, and paid the conductors for the small fares in Slovakia and Czech republic.

Once in Germany, the conductor simply kicked me out at Dresden Hbf for not having a ticket. I went straight to the police station and they allowed me to board the next available train, while the bills would be sent to me by post later.

Lucky for me, I was new to Germany and remembered the post code (Postleitzahl) of my accommodation wrongly, so the bill was never sent to me ;)

[richardschulz]

The history part is a bit wrong: the first organized public transport was 1662 in Paris with horse-driven "Omnibusses" for up to 10 People..

[andrzejek]

Thank you. Public transport in Brelin is mega geil. You can travel at 2 a.m. without any problems. Especially sbahn is cool.

[Xsh]

Very nice video! I live in Copenhagen where we don’t have trams anymore, but other than that public transport is pretty similar, just smaller - we have even got an S-bahn inspired by Germany. Even though we are a tiny country you will need a car if you live outside a city or big town, but maybe that will change over time as the weather gets hotter and hotter😉Oh, and the fine for riding without the correct ticket is DKK 750 i.e €100. ❤️ DW🤠

[patrickfitzgerald]

That was fun Hannah . . . thanks! Public transport here in Arizona is not so great, which is pretty much the norm for most of the car crazy western US.

[falcon.heavy.]

I have not seen anyone say it in the comments, but the videography in this is absolutely breathtaking!