Private lines
Bit by bit, private firms are taking business from Germany’s state railway company
THE station in Kiel is no advertisement for rail travel: like most buildings that are being refurbished, it is an ordeal for both the eyes and the ears. The trains are more welcoming. Head south to Neumünster, or west to Husum and Bad St Peter-Ording, on the North Sea, and you will sit in new, spruce vehicles. As you gaze through their windows, you can listen to music piped to your seat (but bring your own headphones). If you do not have time to buy a ticket before your journey, never mind: get one from a machine on board.
This article appeared in the Business section of the print edition under the headline “Private lines”
From the June 16th 2001 edition
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