• 7 out of 10 train passengers use online services to find out about changes or delays
• Two-thirds want to claim compensation online
• Around a quarter usually rely on electronic train tickets

Push notifications instead of announcements, QR codes instead of paper tickets, online check-in instead of seat checks: for many train passengers, traveling by train has long been a digital experience. Seven out of ten train passengers (69 percent) regularly check online before departure to see if there are any delays or changes, for example using an app. This is most common among 16- to 29-year-olds, at 80 percent. But even in the age group of train passengers aged 65 and over, just over half (52 percent) check online before starting their journey. These are the results of a representative survey commissioned by the digital association Bitkom among 1,006 people aged 16 and over in Germany, including 947 long-distance train passengers.

A total of 29 percent receive push notifications on their smartphones to inform them of delays. If delays or cancellations do occur, 65 percent would like to apply for compensation directly online. “Modern rail transport needs digital services that work intuitively and make both the preparation and the journey itself easier,” says Felix Lennart Hake, mobility expert at Bitkom. “The more digital and convenient rail travel becomes, the more attractive it will be – also in terms of sustainable mobility.”

Environmental awareness is also evident when it comes to tickets: 27 percent of train passengers generally only use electronic tickets, such as QR codes in an app. Here, too, younger people are particularly digitally savvy: among 16- to 29-year-old passengers, 43 percent generally use electronic train tickets. A total of 42 percent use electronic and printed tickets in roughly equal proportions for their train journeys. Twenty-nine percent of rail passengers still rely predominantly on paper and generally use a printed ticket.

Despite their openness to digital services, not every digital habit is well received on trains: 72 percent of passengers are annoyed when fellow passengers talk loudly on the phone, listen to music, or watch videos on the train, and this is almost equally true across all age groups.

Note on methodology: The information is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 1,006 people aged 16 and over in Germany were surveyed by telephone, including 947 long-distance train passengers. The survey took place between calendar weeks 18 and 21 of 2025. The overall survey is representative. The questions were: “Now let’s talk about long-distance train travel. Do you use printed train tickets or electronic tickets?” and “Which of the following statements about train travel apply to you or, in your opinion, to others?”