Another thing I noticed in Germany was that they didn't "collect" tickets after every stop. The intercity and regional trains all seemed to operate on a quasi-honor system. The conductor/trainman came through once and checked everyone's tickets - either scanning the E-ticket (a piece of paper or on your cell phone) or time stamping a paper ticket or rail pass. (The Germans love mechanical time-stamps. They stamp everything.) I understand there are steep penalties if you get caught short and there's not much allowance for ignorance. I don't know how they decide when to come around or if they will make more than one pass on a longer route. I imagine they have to randomize it a bit.
They use a single, wireless device to do everything, including the time-stamping and scanning.
No messy seat checks, no stack of paper tickets to be counted or bundled. (the conductor doesn't have to sit down in the Bordbistro to do his paperwork!) Very clean and efficient.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
For those who need to purchase tickets on board, it is done electronically, and as you noticed, without paper. It is the normal fare + a 2€ surcharge. There is no problem unless you try to avoid buying a ticket. The conductor comes through both IC and ICE trains fairly often, but recognizes passengers he/she has previously checked. On some runs, depending on its length, the crew changes and they may need to recheck. On RE and RB trains, there are no conductors usually, so it is largely the honor system, though random checks occur sometimes. But then if you are without a validated ticket (stamped at a machine at the station) there is a fine of about €40.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
I think of our 7 trips on the MittelrheinBahn (which is privatized RE/local service between Mainz and Koln), we got checked three or four times.
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