According to tz München, a major disruption on the Munich S-Bahn on Monday evening, 26 October, brought service on the central Stammstrecke to a standstill for a time. Bettina Kenter and her husband, who live in Germering, were heading to a concert at Circus Krone and missed the whole performance.
What happened on the way
Around 18:30 the couple reached the S-Bahn car park at Harthaus, where replacement buses were running because of construction work. Instead of waiting for the bus, they drove on by car to Pasing.
At Pasing station the crowds were very large. Passengers waiting for trains toward the city centre were left without a connection, and an S-Bahn toward Trudering that had been announced did not arrive. According to tz München, the couple waited about fifteen minutes before boarding an overcrowded regional train to Munich Hauptbahnhof. They arrived around 20:15, when the concert had already begun.
No taxis were available, and the walk to the venue was not an option for them. They decided to turn back for fear of further problems on the way home.
Cause and information
According to Deutsche Bahn, a signal box fault in the Laim area was responsible for the cancellations. A spokesperson explained that trains, crews and cancelled services had to be reassigned and recorded manually at short notice, which could delay updates on departure displays.
Kenter criticised the passenger information that evening and said she initially found no notice about the disruption online. According to the report, information about alternatives was provided at stations, on trains and online, including tram and bus services to Laimer Platz with a connection to U5.
Tickets and passenger rights
Deutsche Bahn tickets remained valid on MVG buses and trams during the disruption, according to the report. Statutory passenger rights generally apply in cases of delays and cancellations, but they cannot replace missed event tickets. The couple had received their concert tickets as a gift, so they did not lose money.