It was definitely a day for people who love spontaneous decisions, have time and patience, can deal with frustration, but also love the close contact with their fellow human beings. The start of the Pentecost weekend on Saturday morning, together with the introduction of the 9-euro ticket for train and bus services, also turned Karlstadt train station into a tourist hotspot.
For example, a couple from Werneck came by car and then took the regional express from Karlstadt to Frankfurt. It was a spontaneous decision and Karlstadt was the obvious choice because of the favorable parking situation at the train station. In Frankfurt, the couple had planned, they wanted to stroll, shop and maybe drop by the zoo. The four young people, who actually wanted to go to Frankfurt half an hour later, were also absolutely spontaneous, but were then put off by the cramped conditions in the wagons. Without further ado, the group simply took the return train to Bamberg: “Let’s see what the day brings”.
There were only places left in the first class
You really had to have patience and enjoy the narrowness of a tin of sardines. A crowd of young men from Karlburg had to find out. Equipped with two crates of beer, they wanted to visit the Bergkirchweih in Erlangen. The mood was great – at least until the train pulled in after a twenty-minute delay. But it was so full that the passengers had to stand tightly packed in the entrance area. With the best will in the world, there was no more room for the merry dozen and their two crates of beer. So wait and hope for the next train. The mood was now quite subdued. Additional resentment arose when it was noticed that only a few seats were occupied upstairs in the two-story car. But these were obviously reserved for the first class.
A trio of young men had football in mind: They should go to Bayreuth because friends there took part in a relegation game to promote promotion to the third division.
Train journey to Würzburg is cheaper than the parking ticket
However, several people on the Karlstadt platform did not want to go that far. A senior couple planned a small shopping tour in Würzburg. In view of the high parking costs there and the few parking spaces, the 9-euro ticket was a real deal. A small group of teenagers also took the opportunity for a trip to the Main metropolis.
A group of Gössenheimers in dirndls and lederhosen accepted the situation much more relaxed. Her goal was also the Erlangen Bergkirchweih. For nine euros per person, the five in a party mood put up with the waiting time, the one-time transfer and the narrow space. Anyway, in the evening we should go back home to Gössenheim. The small group finally found a place on the train.
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Nobody was allowed to get on in Würzburg – the train was too heavy
A day later, when asked by the editors, the visitors from Gössenheim talked about their experiences: “It was total chaos,” said one participant. In contrast to the Karlburg boys, their group was able to get a standing room at least crowded together as far as Würzburg. More people wanted to get in there. After that, no one was admitted. Not only because of the crowd, the train was simply too heavy for the permissible total weight. The same thing happened in Bamberg, all passengers were asked to leave the train and use replacement vehicles – which hardly anyone followed.
The return trip in the late evening wasn’t much better either, in the heat, with insufficient air conditioning, one person had to be treated for a panic attack. “That’s it for me with the 9-euro ticket,” said the Gössenheim resident. But at least the time at the Bergkirchweih in Erlangen was really nice.
Whether the ticket will still be a success after the start with obstacles remains to be seen. This time the beginning of the holidays, the long weekend and curiosity finally came together. The situation will probably ease by the end of the summer and the railway could also expand its space.
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