Railway company Deutsche Bahn contests claims of disorder in Gelsenkirchen, asserting smooth operations instead.
German public transport stirs global controversy, following the EM-match in Gelsenkirchen. Subsequent to the event, British spectators found themselves stranded at the main station, venting their frustration on social media, lambasting the German Railways (Deutsche Bahn).
In response, the Deutsche Bahn downplays the criticism concerning the supposed bedlam on trains following an EM-group match in Gelsenkirchen as considerably overstated. As Ralf Thieme, responsible for train stations, stated in response to Funke Media Group newspapers, "There was an overall criticism of the city and its residents voiced, which lost its balance." Regarding the frequency of trains after the game, one could debate the issue, he noted. However, when 50,000 spectators flood out of the stadium, not everyone can secure the first train.
Thieme also commented that the city should not be labeled as a "Black Hole in Germany" due to this incident. For future games, the Bahn will recommend alternative routes. Moreover, a special train from Gelsenkirchen to Düsseldorf and Cologne will be provided for the next game.
Prior to the football EM-match between England and Serbia the previous Sunday, fans criticized chaos during their departure from Gelsenkirchen, with social media videos showing overcrowded station hours post-game. The city administration had previously dismissed the sometimes severe accusations of the British fan organization "Free Lions." The Bogestra transport company also rebuffed the criticism. We faced challenges that are not uncommon for large-scale sporting events, said a spokesperson to "Spiegel": "As a transportation company, we fulfilled our duties appropriately."
Nevertheless, the Bahn apologized to Austrian fans who, due to construction, missed the first half of their national team's match in Düsseldorf on Monday. Thieme promised a gracious compensation for the inconvenience. The delay was caused by a construction machine breakdown early Monday morning that delayed the completion of the construction site before the tournament's start. Though thousands of fans were left waiting, Thieme contested criticism regarding this situation, stating that only around 150 fans were affected, and the delay was "extremely frustrating" for them.
Apart from isolated incidents, the Bahn is pleased with the event's start: The company registered 1.2 million passengers over the first weekend, including 100,000 soccer fans. No incidents of violent attacks were reported. "The first weekend was entirely peaceful," says Thieme. Apart from 6000 German police and 4000 security personnel, officers from the home countries of the national teams were also present to accompany their fans.
Read also:
Despite the railway company Deutsche Bahn's assertion of smooth operations, local traffic in Gelsenkirchen was reportedly disrupted during the European Football Championship 2024, leading to frustration among spectators. In light of this, Deutsche Bahn has announced special trains for future matches in Gelsenkirchen to ensure better traffic management and avoid repeat incidents.
