BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – Bahn supervisory board member Stefan Gelbhaar calls for an end to the special precautions for top politicians and celebrities on train journeys. “Special regulations for celebrities are out of date. That is simply not conveyable,” said the Greens member of the Bundestag to the “Spiegel”. The train is there for everyone, and there is already enough to do, for example in terms of accessibility, said Gelbhaar. “Potemkin villages provoke wrong images, wrong priorities and thus wrong decisions. That’s another reason why the special regulations for celebrities should be disposed of immediately.”
Deutsche Bahn has special precautions for top politicians and celebrities with a high security status. “In rail transport – as well as in road or air traffic – the special protection and safety needs of exposed people in public life must be taken into account, partly on the basis of specifications from the safety authorities,” said the railway on Friday on request. There is a group regulation for this at Deutsche Bahn. The “Spiegel” had reported on this.
According to the report, the directive provides, among other things, that trains are checked particularly carefully before such journeys. The railway initially gave no information on the specific rules on Friday. “One thing is clear: the transport takes place within the framework of a public timetable, and no special stops are granted. Passengers also travel at their own expense with regular tickets,” said a spokesman. Bahn board members could also not use the guideline./red/DP/men