25% discounted rail travel in Germany will be available to all British Armed Forces, wherever based, BFG personnel, dependants and entitled Veterans, from 1 October.

This generous offer has been agreed between BFG and DB BAHN, the German rail network. The ‘BFG25’ deal will run as a pilot scheme between 1 October 2009 – 30 September 2010.

The offer is open to all Service personnel wherever they are based, dependants, all BFG employees including DEL staff, and Veterans, on production of a valid MOD 90, BFG issued ID card or BFG Installation Access Pass.

What’s on offer

Full details of the offer are set out in the recently-published DIN 2009DIN01-190 (copies will be placed in HIVEs) but the offer’s main scope is as follows:

• A 25% reduction on 2nd class standard fares purchased through the German rail operator DB Bahn.  This applies to tickets purchased at the time of travel and up to 30 days in advance of the date of the journey.
  
  
• Children up to 14 years of age can travel free when accompanied by an adult and named on the adult’s ticket (dependants’ ID card or passport must be carried as proof of status).

Services available in this offer extend right across the German rail network, whether long or short distance trains, including Intercity-Express (ICE), Intercity and Eurocity (IC/EC), InterRegio-Express (IRE), Regionalbahn (RB), Stadt-Express (SE) and the S-Bahn.

Main Booking Terms

• The Discount tickets will only be available on presentation of an official ID Card.  This ID card must be carried with you on your journey and produced if necessary.

• The discounted tickets may not be used for duty journeys or for daily commuting between home and place of work or education. 

• You will not receive the discount on City Night Line (CNL), Euro Night (EN) or DB-Autozug-motor rail services. 

• If you book an international rail journey, the discount will only apply to the German section of the journey.

• The special deal also applies to group bookings although there may already be a better discount on offer – the discount cannot be used with other deals.

• Travellers should check for any route, train or time restrictions applying at the time of booking.

• Passenger rights, such as reimbursements for cancellations or delays, will be available. 

Widening the scope of the offer

• First Class rail travel is not currentlyavailable, but this is under discussion.
  
  
• The scope for combining ‘BFG25’ with the BFG tax free purchasing system for entitled staff is currently being investigated, thereby gaining a potential tax free saving of 40%. When and if this becomes possible, a further announcement will be made.

Where you can buy tickets

29 Railway Stations across BFG will provide the 25% discount:

Commenting on the new deal, Colonel Peter McGuigan, Deputy Chief of Staff United Kingdom Support Command, said:  “It is wonderful that we have been able to negotiate this very generous offer by DB Bahn.