Deutsche Bahn is getting rid of bottled beers in ICE trains.
Fans of draught beer at Bordbistro Ultra might be disheartened: The German Railway, Deutsche Bahn, is entirely phasing out draft beer in their ICE trains. As an alternative, the railcompany is opting for bottled beer.
Deutsche Bahn has announced various alterations for the onboard bistros in long-distance travel for the upcoming year. By 2025, draught beer will be entirely eliminated, with the company focusing on a broader assortment of bottled beers, as announced by DB. From February to May, a cashless catering system will also be tested on selected routes.
DB explained this shift in preference due to changing customer demands. In 2010, draught beer accounted for 50 percent of sales, but this has significantly dropped to 15 percent. The company attributes this decline to diversifying customer tastes, and they aim to adapt to this by offering seven different bottled beers as standard starting from February 2025, along with a rotating special beer.
The pilot project for cashless payments in the onboard bistros of long-distance travel begins in February 2023. Passengers on some ICE routes will only be able to pay using cards than cash. The DB website and the DB Navigator app will provide advance notice of cashless trains.
Cashless payments simplify the onboard processes and reduce waiting times for passengers, DB stated. Today, half of the train passengers pay without cash. However, DB has no plans to completely eliminate cash from onboard bistros and restaurants. The expansion of this system to other connections depends on the results of the test, as DB explained "We will evaluate these results very carefully."
Moreover, Deutsche Bahn announced it will employ 100 additional full-time workers in the onboard catering sector. Trains will have more staff, primarily in areas with high demand. Currently, 3,200 individuals work in the 410 onboard bistros managed by the Deutsche Bahn. Last year, the best-selling item was a cappuccino, with 2.2 million cups and mugs sold, while the ham and cheese baguette remained the most popular food item with 747,000 pieces sold.
The economy of Deutsche Bahn is affected by the shift in preference towards bottled beer, as draught beer sales have significantly dropped from 50% in 2010 to 15%. By 2025, the economy of the onboard bistros will focus solely on bottled beer, with seven different varieties offered as standard.
