What takes effect

From 15 October 2026, drinking alcohol is banned across Deutsche Bahn's stations in Germany, covering the entire station area including platforms. The company puts the total at about 5,700 stations, of which 5,400 belong to its infrastructure subsidiary Infrago and around 300 to DB Regionetz. In some municipalities the ban extends to the forecourts, which belong to Deutsche Bahn. Just under 40 larger stations, among them the main stations in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Kiel and Heidelberg, already had an alcohol ban before this step. Restaurants inside stations may keep selling and serving alcohol, and passengers may still carry sealed drinks in their luggage or shopping. Once passengers step from the platform onto a train, drinking is in most cases allowed again.

Why the company acted

The move follows an incident in Baden-Württemberg in July. Prosecutors said a 36-year-old passenger kicked and beat a 26-year-old male security worker during a ticket check on a regional train. When a train door gave way during the scuffle, the worker fell through a gap and out of the moving train. The passenger is said to have been drinking. Evelyn Palla, the company's chief, said at the time:

We are cracking down. We are banning drinking alcohol from our stations.

The decision also came after several assaults on rail staff.

How enforcement works

The ban falls under the Deutsche Bahn house rules, which give its security staff the basis to act. Staff will approach people who break the rule during their patrols, and spokeswoman Anja Bröker said they would do so "with a sense of proportion". A first step can be an order to leave the station, and in the worst case a repeat offender can receive a station ban. Where needed, federal police can be called in, which the company said is already routine at stations where the rule has applied. The company also stresses that it wants to enforce the rule with care and tact.

What the company reports

Deutsche Bahn describes its experience at just under 40 large stations with the ban as consistently positive. The company says the rule has led to fewer conflicts and less waste, and that travellers and staff feel more comfortable at the stations. On Wednesday, 14 October, it pointed to a representative survey in which almost four in five respondents support the alcohol ban. The company presents the step as an additional measure for safety and cleanliness at its stations.

Rollout

Deutsche Bahn announced the ban on Wednesday, 14 October, with it taking effect on 15 October. Posters at the stations state that drinking alcoholic drinks, or carrying them visibly, is forbidden in the stations and on the forecourts in front. Those posters appear across the network, and violators risk being barred from the stations. The 5,400 Infrago stations and around 300 DB Regionetz stations make up the network covered by the company's figures.