DB Regio, Deutsche Bahn’s short- and medium-distance division, has announced a partnership with Google Maps that will allow passengers to access live train data and purchase tickets directly within the navigation app, without the need to visit external platforms.
From now on, users planning their journeys with Google Maps in Germany will be able to view the live position of DB Regio services and complete the purchase of the appropriate ticket within DB’s own digital ecosystem. In an initial phase, more than half of regional services will already feature real-time data.
The initiative extends the collaboration that Google and DB Fernverkehr — the long-distance division — have maintained since August 2020, now broadening its scope to cover commuter and regional rail. DB Regio operates services that, on its commuter rail networks alone (S-Bahn), carry 3.8 million passengers every working day across Germany.
The stated aim of both companies is to attract passengers who have not yet switched to public transport, reducing digital friction as a lever to increase rail patronage over private car use.