From 21 August 2026, Deutsche Bahn will offer a new service for unaccompanied children aged 6 to 14 on selected ICE trains: the “DB Junior Express”. Specially trained pedagogical staff will accompany the children throughout the entire journey – including handover at the departure and arrival station.
Quick overview
This report is primarily relevant for rail travelers because it may have concrete impacts on planning, connections or infrastructure. The focus is on Deutsche Bahn, DB Junior Express, long-distance rail, ICE, children, supervision and rail travel. The key points are summarised compactly below.
Key points
- The service is aimed at unaccompanied children aged 6 to 14 and is available for an additional fee.
- Launch on 21 August 2026, bookable from 12 August 2026; initially on Fridays and Sundays on selected ICE trains on the Berlin–Munich, Munich–Cologne and Frankfurt/Main–Hamburg routes.
- Supervision including seat reservation costs 69 euros; a 2nd class child ticket is also required.
- A maximum of 14 children per connection; handover takes place at a central point in the departure station and personally to the collecting person at the destination.
- Additional routes are planned by Deutsche Bahn, with a nationwide launch still pending.
What this means for travelers
For travelers, it is worth taking a close look at the time period, route and booking conditions. The key question is whether the report already triggers concrete timetable changes or initially describes a political or strategic development.
Context
With the “DB Junior Express”, Deutsche Bahn is responding to the existing regulation that children aged 6 and over are generally permitted to travel by rail alone, while the duty of care remains with the legal guardians. Onboard staff do not normally assume any special responsibility for children – the new service now closes this gap for an additional fee.
What to watch now
- Check concrete timetable or service information only once travel dates are set.
- For international journeys, allow more generous connection times.
- Monitor the source and operator information in case dates are still provisional.