Frequently asked questions about the blue AUTOZUG Sylt
Here you will find answers about the crossing between Niebüll and Westerland on Sylt – from prices and timetables to booking and vehicles, and the process at the terminal.
Quick answers
There is no road to Sylt – cars can only reach the island by car train over a railway embankment or by ferry from Denmark. The car train runs between Niebüll on the mainland and Westerland on Sylt and takes around 35 minutes; you remain seated in your vehicle for the entire journey. There are two operators on the route: the blue AUTOZUG Sylt by RDC and the red Sylt Shuttle by DB.
The alternative is the ferry from Havneby on the Danish island of Rømø to List in the north of Sylt. This requires travelling through Denmark: from Niebüll it is around 71 kilometres and about 1 hour 10 minutes extra driving time, plus the crossing and the onward journey from List on the island.
The journey across the railway embankment takes around 35 minutes as scheduled. The route between the Niebüll and Westerland terminals is 39 kilometres long. In addition, allow time for check-in and loading at the terminal – plan for around one hour in total.
A single journey by car costs 80 euros at the terminal – 77 euros fare plus a 3 euro fuel surcharge. Outward and return journey cost 138 euros. The prices apply to vehicles up to 6.00 m in length, 2.70 m in height, 2.20 m in width and 3.0 t actual gross weight – including all occupants up to seven people, their luggage and accompanying animals.
Booking online is cheaper and without a fuel surcharge:
- Saver ticket from 19.00 euros – reservation for the selected train included; no free choice of train; no rebooking and no cancellation.
- Flexible ticket from 65.90 euros – reservation for the selected train included; in addition, free choice of train without reservation for two months from the day before travel; cancellation for a fee.
- Premium ticket from 79.90 euros – reservation for the selected train included; in addition, free choice of train without reservation for six months from the day before travel; rebooking and cancellation free of charge up to the day before travel; plus benefits with our Sylter partners.
- Reservation ticket from 4.90 euros – reservation for the selected train without a ticket; the ticket is purchased separately.
Further tickets at the terminal: combined ticket with the Syltfähre 95 euros for a round trip within one calendar day.
If you travel regularly or have your main residence on Sylt, significantly cheaper fares apply – see offers for frequent travellers and Sylter.
For larger vehicles, separate fares apply according to length and weight: motorhomes (from 96.90 euros), car and caravan combinations (from 96.90 euros), lorries (from 80.90 euros) and coaches (from 233.90 euros). You can find the full price overview at www.autozug-sylt.de/preise.
A price comparison is especially worthwhile online: the online fares of the two car train operators differ more significantly from each other than the prices at the terminal and also depend on how early you book and how heavily booked the desired train already is. If you plan flexibly and book in good time, you will travel noticeably more cheaply than when buying a ticket on site.
The blue AUTOZUG Sylt runs daily at intervals of around 60 to 90 minutes – with up to 12 departures from Niebüll and up to 11 departures from Westerland. To make sure you catch a departure, you must arrive at the terminal a few minutes beforehand – the following times state the latest time for the first and last departure of the day.
First departure from Niebüll: be at the terminal by 4:30 am Monday to Friday, by 6:05 am on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Last departure from Niebüll: be at the terminal by 7:05 pm, in the winter timetable by 5:35 pm.
First departure from Westerland/Sylt: be at the terminal by 5:55 am.
Last departure from Westerland/Sylt: be at the terminal by 6:55 pm, in the winter timetable by 5:55 pm.
On certain key travel days, we offer additional late departures that go beyond the times stated above. They do not follow a fixed pattern – so it is worth checking the timetable before each journey. The winter timetable applies from 9 November 2026; some evening connections will then be cancelled. You can find all departures with the exact times in the daily timetable at autozug-sylt.de/fahrplan.
That depends on your trip. Within the towns and between them, you can manage well without a car: Sylt has a dense bus network, the train connects Westerland with Morsum, and many routes can be covered by bicycle. If you are staying in Westerland and want to explore the island at your leisure, you do not need a vehicle.
Your own car becomes useful if you are travelling with a lot of luggage, with children, with a dog or with sports equipment, if you are staying outside the main towns, or if you want to head spontaneously to List, Hörnum or more remote stretches of beach. It is also often the more convenient solution for longer stays and for the journey itself – you pack at home and simply remain seated during the crossing.
Booking and Tickets
No, advance booking is not required – you can drive to the terminal without a reservation and buy your ticket on site from the service team. Online booking is still worthwhile: it is cheaper and always includes a seat guarantee for your preferred train, regardless of which fare you choose. Without a reservation, however, there is no entitlement to travel if the train is already fully booked when you arrive.
Yes – and with all online tickets, the seat guarantee for the selected train is already included: with the saver fare ticket as well as with the flexible fare and the premium ticket. Anyone who already has a ticket can also book a reservation separately as a reservation ticket.
For the seat guarantee to apply, you must have checked in no later than 15 minutes before loading closes – for vehicles from 8 m in length, no later than 20 minutes beforehand. Anyone arriving later loses the reservation and can only travel as long as there is still space on the train.
In each of our online tickets, a reservation is included. In the webshop, you can also see the prices for several days at a glance, as well as the actual occupancy of the individual trains in real time. You can save your ticket directly in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet.
Regular customers reserve via https://buchung.autozug-sylt.de/account/login without an additional reservation fee.
You have two options: online in the webshop at autozug-sylt.de or directly at the terminal. On site, you buy your ticket from the service team in the entry lanes and pay conveniently from your vehicle in cash or by EC or credit card. For the online booking, have your vehicle registration certificate ready; on the day of travel, the QR code on your smartphone is sufficient.
If you are travelling by car and already have a ticket with a QR code or a regular customer card, you can alternatively use the self-check-in machine – one is available in Niebüll and one in Westerland. This makes check-in quicker and helps you avoid waiting times. For all other cases – buying tickets on site, larger vehicles, questions about the journey – the service team in the lanes is there for you.
The fare applies to the driver of a vehicle and all other passengers. In the car tariff, up to seven people can travel, without any extra charge. The vehicle, luggage, goods and pets are also included.
Only as many people as the vehicle has seat belts-equipped seats may travel. Please still enter the actual number of people correctly when purchasing: the information is used to determine the correct weight and thus to secure your vehicle on the train.
A ticket is generally valid for one journey in one direction. How long it can be used depends on the ticket type:
- Saver fare ticket: valid only for the booked train.
- Flexible fare ticket: valid for two months from the day before the journey; after the reserved train, the choice of train is free, but then without a seat guarantee.
- Premium ticket: valid for six months from the day before the journey; after the reserved train, the choice of train is free, but then without a seat guarantee.
- Reservation ticket: valid only for the booked train; the ticket is purchased separately.
- Terminal sales, return ticket: the return journey must take place within two months in the opposite direction; a return journey in the same direction is possible for an additional €20.
- Terminal sales, 10-journey ticket: valid for twelve months from the first journey for ten journeys in any direction.
- Terminal sales, combined ticket with the Syltfähre: valid only within one calendar day from the date of purchase.
This also depends on the fare type:
- Saver fare ticket: no rebooking, no cancellation.
- Flexible fare ticket: cancellation subject to a fee of 15 euros per ticket.
- Premium ticket: rebooking and cancellation free of charge up to the day before travel.
- Reservation ticket: no rebooking, no cancellation.
- Terminal sale: cancellation up to loading cut-off subject to a fee of 15 euros per ticket.
Regardless of this, online booked tickets whose cancellation is received within 24 hours of booking and not on the day of travel itself will be cancelled free of charge. For discounted tickets, only complete documents can be cancelled, not individual journeys.
Please send your cancellation to info@autozug-sylt.de or call our customer hotline on 04661 9808891. There is no entitlement to replacement for lost tickets and online tickets.
That depends on your ticket:
- Saver fare ticket: only valid for the booked train; if you miss it, the ticket expires.
- Flexible fare ticket: you can take any later departure, as long as there is space – but then without a seat guarantee.
- Premium ticket: like the Flexible fare ticket; in addition, free rebooking including a new reservation is possible up to the day before travel.
- Reservation ticket: the reservation expires; the separately purchased ticket remains valid.
- Terminal sale: This question does not arise. Your ticket is sold for the departure you can still reach, and you are checked in immediately.
If it becomes apparent that you will not make your train, please speak to our service team at the terminal.
When buying on site, we also apply the following: we only check you in once there is actually a seat available for you on the next departure. So you do not buy a ticket and then wait 60 to 90 minutes for a free departure.
No. Tickets and online tickets may not be altered or resold; altered or resold tickets do not entitle the holder to travel. This also applies to private resale, for example via classified ad portals. Travel agents can make different arrangements with us.
There is no entitlement to a replacement for lost tickets and online tickets.
Yes, hire cars are transported like all other vehicles – the same prices and dimensions apply. Please have the vehicle registration document ready for the check at the terminal.
A note for regular and corporate customers: your discounted fares are tied to the registration plates stored in your customer profile, and a hire car is usually not entered there. Please therefore register the registration plate before your journey – via your regular or corporate customer support, or our customer hotline on 04661 9808891. Retrospective recognition at the terminal is not possible.
For regular journeys, there are four ways to reduce the fare:
Regular Customer Card – free of charge, after one-time registration. For regular customers, a reduced fare applies at the terminal: 70 Euro for a single journey and 120 Euro for a return journey. You do not pay on site; instead, you check in with your Regular Customer Card, and payment is collected monthly by SEPA direct debit or invoice. Reservations via autozug-sylt.de are free of reservation fees for you. From the tenth journey within twelve months, you automatically travel at the reduced fare of the 10-trip card: the difference is credited to your customer account without you having to do anything.
Business Customer Card – the same conditions for companies, with billing via a business account. For commercial frequent travellers and travel agencies, we will prepare an individual offer on request: firmenkunden@autozug-sylt.de.
10-trip return ticket – 492 Euro for ten journeys in any direction, valid for twelve months from the first journey. Available directly at the terminal, without registration.
Sylter fare – anyone whose main residence is on Sylt pays 38 Euro for a single journey and 66 Euro for a return journey, each including the fuel surcharge; the 10-trip return ticket costs 240 Euro. Proof of identity card or confirmation from the registration office is sufficient. The fare also applies to businesses, public authorities and non-profit associations based on Sylt, as well as to people doing voluntary social year placements on the island. Combined with the Regular Customer Card, the single journey costs 34 Euro and the return journey 60 Euro.
Severely disabled people – as the driver, you and your passengers will be transported free of charge with your vehicle. Please show the green-orange entitlement certificate together with the supplement and the value coupon in original at the terminal – copies are not accepted. Reservations are possible via autozug-sylt.de.
No fuel surcharge is applied to the regular customer, business customer and 10-trip fares. It is only charged for regular terminal sales, for example for the Sylter fare without a Regular Customer Card, once per ticket there – for a return ticket therefore also only once.
On request, regular and business customers also receive free of charge the certificate under § 4 of the Motor Vehicle Tax Act, which can be used to reclaim vehicle tax for journeys by rail. For all others, it costs 25 Euro per vehicle.
You can order your Regular Customer Card or Business Customer Card free of charge at our customer centres in Niebüll and Westerland or at info@autozug-sylt.de.
Yes. We issue advance sale tickets in a bespoke design that make a great gift – for a birthday, an anniversary, passing an exam, or just because.
You can collect them in person from our customer centre in Westerland, Industrieweg 16, or order them by email at kundencenter-westerland@autozug-sylt.de. Please include your delivery and invoice address, as well as the type and number of tickets required; the tickets will then be with you within a few days.
The journey on the issued chip card is valid until the end of the following year from the date of sale. It is valid for up to seven people in the vehicle, with a maximum length of 6,00 m, height of 2,70 m, width of 2,20 m and a gross weight of 3,0 t.
No, the tickets from the two providers are not mutually valid. For the blue AUTOZUG Sylt, you need your own ticket. You can obtain this online or directly on site from the service team on lanes 9 to 11 in Niebüll, or 1 and 2 in Westerland.
Vehicles
The blue AUTOZUG Sylt carries cars, SUVs, vans, motorhomes, caravan combinations, vehicles with trailers, lorries and coaches. The limits are: maximum 4.05 m height, 20.50 m length, 50.0 t gross weight, 6.50 t wheel load and 13.00 t axle load. The permitted width depends on the height: up to 1.54 m vehicle height a maximum of 2.60 m, above that up to 4.05 m height a maximum of 2.86 m. Each vehicle requires at least 10 cm ground clearance. All dimensions include roof boxes, roof racks with load, rear carriers and antennas.
Because of the single-storey transport wagons, we are particularly flexible with vehicle height – high motorhomes, lorries and buses can also travel with us.
Single motorcycles and scooters are not carried (see Beförderung von Motorrädern), motorhomes with trailers, or vehicles that could damage the train due to their design, such as tracked vehicles or road rollers. If you are unsure about the weight: in Niebüll there is a weighbridge available in front of the check-in. If your vehicle does not meet the requirements, we will assess the individual case – please send your enquiry to info@autozug-sylt.de no later than four weeks before departure.
Unfortunately not. We cannot transport vehicles on their own if their occupants are not sitting in a fully enclosed cabin during the journey. This applies to motorbikes and scooters as well as pedelecs, trikes, quads and tractors - and also convertibles, provided they do not have a roof.
If you are travelling with such a vehicle, you have two options: transport it on a trailer or in a suitable vehicle - in which case the fares for your towing vehicle including trailer apply - or use the ferry from Havneby on Rømø to List. The trailer may be open or closed; what matters is that the load is properly secured. The driver is responsible for this.
Yes. All occupants remain in the vehicle during the journey, and pets travel at no extra charge. Please secure your pet as is customary in road traffic. Please note that the engine is switched off during the approximately 35-minute journey and the vehicle therefore cannot be air-conditioned – on hot days, sun protection and sufficient ventilation are recommended.
Yes, electric vehicles are carried just like all other cars. What matters is not the drive type, but the weight: the standard car tariff applies to vehicles up to 6,00 m in length, 2,70 m in height, 2,20 m in width and 3,0 t actual total weight. Because many electric cars are heavier than comparable combustion-engine vehicles, it is worth checking the scales here – the decisive factor is the weight in laden condition, i.e. including passengers and luggage. In Niebüll, a set of scales is available in front of the check-in to clarify any doubtful cases.
If your vehicle is above this, it can still travel, but the tariff of the next higher price category applies. Vehicles over 3,0 t are also carried facing against the direction of travel. On the train, as usual, put the selector lever into the locking position „P" and apply the handbrake firmly.
You cannot charge at the terminals: there is no public charging infrastructure there. However, we are working with operators of charging stations in the surrounding area.
Yes, motorhomes up to 4.05 m in height, 2.86 m in width, 20.50 m in length and 50.0 t in weight are carried. Because open windows and roof lights could be damaged during the journey if they face against the direction of travel, we transport motorhomes exclusively facing in the direction of travel.
This has a particular effect when loading: motorhomes are too heavy for the ramps at the north end of the train, so they travel on the southern part of the train. In order for your vehicle to be facing in the direction of travel there, depending on the parking position you will drive up to 300 metres in reverse onto the train when loading. If staff are available, we will guide you; responsibility for the manoeuvre remains with the driver. Please factor this in – it is routine, but it requires calm and a little time.
Because each of these manoeuvres takes time, only a limited number of motorhomes can travel on each train. We therefore strongly recommend motorhome travellers to book in advance and reserve a parking space.
For motorhomes of any size, the Flexpreis and Premium tickets are available online; there is no Sparpreis ticket for them.
Please note: Motorhomes with trailers are not carried. Before driving onto the train, satellite antennas must also be removed, and all flaps, ventilation windows and roof lights must be closed; wind deflectors and external blinds must be secured or removed.
Yes. The same rules apply as in road traffic: the connected cylinder may be carried, but it must be turned off. The shut-off valves of the fuel lines must also be closed; all lines and containers must be tight and securely closed. While your vehicle is in the terminal, no fuel may be removed or filled.
The situation is different for transports of dangerous goods requiring labelling: for this, a reservation confirmed by us is essential, as only one transport unit requiring labelling may travel per train. You can find details at www.autozug-sylt.de/gefahrgut.
Yes, bicycles can be carried when firmly mounted on roof or rear racks. The driver is responsible for ensuring they are securely fastened. Vehicles that weigh more than 3.0 t with their load are transported facing opposite to the direction of travel.
Yes, provided your vehicle has at least 10 cm ground clearance. This limit applies to all vehicles and must be observed for lowered cars and certain sports car models – the loading ramps require this clearance. If in doubt, please measure beforehand at the lowest point of your vehicle.
If you would prefer to avoid the ramp altogether, speak to our service team on arrival: subject to availability, you can travel on the southern part of the train, which is otherwise reserved for larger and heavier vehicles. Your vehicle will be positioned there facing the opposite direction of travel – this is also how DB Sylt Shuttle handles comparable cases. There is no entitlement to this option, as it depends on how full the train is.
Unlike motorhomes, which require a manoeuvre for travel in the direction of travel (see Motorhomes on the car train), cars are positioned on this part of the train without any further effort.
The blue AUTOZUG Sylt offers space for up to 110 vehicles. Including the locomotive, the train is around 600 metres long. Depending on their height and length, the vehicles are positioned either in the direction of travel or facing the opposite direction.
Roof boxes, roof and rear luggage carriers must be standard commercial products and securely fitted – home-made constructions are not permitted. Before driving up, secure your roof box additionally at the rear with a strap; we will provide this free of charge. Satellite antennas must be removed before driving up.
Please bear in mind that all dimensions apply, including roof box, roof rack with load, rear carrier and antennas. A vehicle 1.95 m high with a roof box can exceed the 2.70 m limit for the car tariff and then falls into a different price category.
No. Trailers and caravans are transported exclusively in conjunction with a towing vehicle. Motorhomes with a trailer are also excluded from transportation.
That depends on your vehicle and is determined during loading – there is no entitlement to a particular parking position.
- Cars up to 3.0 t: usually in the direction of travel; in individual cases, it may be different.
- Vehicles over 3.0 t gross weight, over 2.20 m wide, or those that must be strapped down: against the direction of travel.
- Motorhomes: always in the direction of travel, because protruding windows and roof hatches could otherwise be damaged (see Motorhomes on the car train).
Standing against the direction of travel is not a problem – the train travels at up to 100 km/h as scheduled, and your vehicle is secured accordingly. If in doubt, check the operating manual to see whether your vehicle may be moved in reverse; with roof structures and attachments, you as the driver are responsible for securing them.
Process at the terminal
In six steps: At check-in, you buy your ticket from the service team or present your online booking - with the car, optionally at the self check-in machine. Afterwards, drive up in your lane to the barrier. Around 10 minutes before departure, a green signal clears the way for boarding; all occupants must then be seated in the vehicle. At walking pace, the vehicles drive onto the train one after the other, with a member of staff guiding each driver to their parking space. Before departure, safety announcements follow over the loudspeaker. After around 35 minutes, the train stops at the destination terminal, and the vehicles leave it one after the other - no check-out is required.
You must have reached the ticket check at the terminal by the latest at the so-called loading deadline – this is the latest time for check-in, around ten minutes before the train departs. Anyone arriving later has no entitlement to travel.
If you have reserved a place, an earlier deadline applies: you must have checked in no later than 15 minutes before the loading deadline, and for vehicles from 8 m in length no later than 20 minutes before. After that, the reservation expires, and you can only travel as long as the train is not fully booked.
Without a reservation, we recommend arriving much earlier, especially in peak season. If the next departure is already fully booked when you arrive, we will not check you in – you only buy your ticket once a place becomes available for you. You can check how busy the terminal is in advance via our webcams at www.autozug-sylt.de/webcams.
Have two things ready: your ticket or your online ticket as a QR code on your smartphone or printed out, as well as the vehicle registration document – the registration certificate Part I. You present both at the check at the terminal entrance without leaving your vehicle. Checks are also possible inside the terminal and on the train.
For dangerous goods transport, the confirmed reservation, the written instructions in accordance with ADR and the transport documents are also required.
For the blue AUTOZUG Sylt, in Niebüll you should drive into lanes 9 to 11 on the far right, and in Westerland into lanes 1 and 2 on the far left. Both terminals are used by both car train providers, but the loading lanes are separate and signposted. If you are accidentally in the wrong lane, please follow the instructions of the service staff – we will find a solution.
Terminal Niebüll (mainland): Kurt-Bachmann-Ring 2, 25899 Niebüll. If your navigation system cannot find this street, please enter the former name "Südergath" instead. You can reach Niebüll via the A7 (Flensburg-Harrislee exit) or via the A23 through Husum.
Terminal Westerland (Sylt): Industrieweg 18, 25980 Westerland/Sylt. Please note the house number: the neighbouring number 18a leads to the DB Sylt Shuttle customer centre.
Yes. Toilet facilities are available at both terminals – including a dog toilet. In Niebüll, you will also find a kiosk with a small bistro on the terminal grounds; in Westerland, a kiosk is located in the immediate vicinity of the waiting area for cars.
If you wish to get out, please pay attention to traffic on the site, and make sure you are back in your vehicle in good time before loading: around 10 minutes before departure, a green traffic light gives clearance to drive on, and from then on all passengers must be seated in the vehicle.
The car train is well suited for travellers with reduced mobility, because you remain in your own vehicle for the entire journey – no changing or getting out is required. Check-in also takes place from the vehicle.
People with severe disabilities are carried free of charge – full details can be found under Offers for frequent travellers and Sylter.
A note about our customer centre in Westerland: it can be reached via several steps and is therefore not accessible. If you have an enquiry there, you are welcome to contact us by phone on 04661 9808891 or by e-mail at info@autozug-sylt.de.
In stormy weather, traffic may be suspended completely or partially, or certain vehicle types may temporarily not be carried. This affects both Autozug providers equally, because the limits depend on the route and not on the company. With us, the following applies: lorries with spoilers that extend beyond the superstructure, as well as tractor units travelling alone with spoilers, are excluded from carriage from wind force 8 on the Beaufort scale; dangerous goods transport from wind force 10. In these cases, there is no entitlement to carriage.
If your train is cancelled after you have already checked in, you can travel free of charge on the next available departure of the DB Sylt Shuttle. Please contact our service staff at the terminal for this.
In the event of delays and train cancellations, passenger rights under EU Regulation 2021/782 also apply. We explain why delays arise on this route under Punctuality on the route.
Not always – and the reason lies in the route itself. Between Niebüll and Westerland there is only one continuous track that all trains share: the car trains of both providers, local and long-distance services, and freight trains. Overtaking is practically impossible. If one train is delayed, the entire sequence behind it shifts as a result – regardless of which company operates it. Added to this are restrictions due to weather and construction work.
For your planning, this means: allow some buffer time, especially if you need to catch a flight, a ferry or a fixed appointment. If you want to stay flexible, a Flexpreis or Premium ticket is a good option, as it allows you to take a later departure as well.
We provide information on current delays at autozug-sylt.de. If you have booked an online ticket, we will also notify you by email as soon as the departure of your booked train is delayed – another reason to book online in advance.
In the event of delays and train cancellations, passenger rights under EU Regulation 2021/782 apply (see Storm, cancellation and delay).
Parking is not permitted at the loading terminal itself – the areas there are used exclusively for loading, and staying there is only allowed for passengers during opening hours.
If you want to go to Sylt without a vehicle, use the regular passenger trains from Niebüll to Westerland; you do not need a car train for that. The blue AUTOZUG Sylt carries only people in their vehicles, so neither pedestrians nor cyclists without a car.
If you want to leave your vehicle on the mainland, the parking facilities at Niebüll passenger station are a good option – there are several public car parks and a multi-storey car park there, all subject to charges. It is about 10 minutes by car from the car train terminal.
You can see how busy it is at any time for yourself: at www.autozug-sylt.de/webcams we show live images from the loading terminals. And if you book online, you can see the actual occupancy of each individual train in real time in the webshop.
Safety
In short: switch off the engine, apply the handbrake firmly, stay seated with your seatbelt fastened, and do not leave the vehicle. In detail:
- Drive slowly onto and over the train.
- Switch off the engine and ignition.
- Do not let the steering lock engage.
- Apply the handbrake firmly.
- Engage first gear or set the automatic selector to "P".
- Switch off the lights.
- All occupants must remain seated with their seatbelts fastened throughout the entire journey – even if the train stops en route.
- It is forbidden to get out on the train.
- Only in an emergency should you pull hard on the red emergency brake cord at the side of your vehicle. Misuse is punishable by law.
- Otherwise, follow the instructions of the train staff.
The vehicles stand on open flat wagons without walkways. Getting out while the vehicle is moving would be life-threatening and is therefore strictly prohibited – even if the train stops en route for operational reasons. For emergencies, there is a red emergency brake cord positioned to the side next to each vehicle.
Children, like all other occupants, remain seated in the vehicle with their seat belts fastened for the entire crossing. The same rules apply as in road traffic: child seats and restraint systems are to be used as usual, and only as many people may travel as the vehicle has seat-belted seats. The adult accompanying persons are responsible for securing and supervising the children.
Staying in caravans and trailers is not permitted during the crossing – all passengers travel in the towing vehicle.
Yes. You may eat and drink in your vehicle, open the windows and also smoke – as long as you remain seated and belted in for the entire crossing.
However, we do have one request: please do not throw cigarette butts out of the window. The route runs through the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, and discarded butts land directly there. There is also a technical reason: they clog the ballast bed of the tracks, which then loses elasticity and has to be repaired more often. Please take your cigarette butts back with you in the vehicle.
The two car train providers
Both providers operate the same route between Niebüll and Westerland, use the same terminals and take around 35 minutes for the crossing. There are differences in the vehicles, prices and departure times.
The blue AUTOZUG Sylt runs with single-decker flat wagons. This results in two special features: you have an unrestricted view of the Wadden Sea throughout the journey, and we can transport vehicles up to 4.05 m high – including tall motorhomes, lorries and coaches. You can find our prices, departure times and ticket conditions in this FAQ under A.3, A.4 and B; please refer to the other provider’s own publications for its details.
At the terminal, in Niebüll you line up in lanes 9 to 11, and in Westerland in lanes 1 and 2. The tickets of the two providers are not valid with each other.
Yes, both providers operate the route between Niebüll and Westerland and use the same terminals. You decide on arrival at the terminal which loading lane to join. For the blue AUTOZUG Sylt you need your own ticket; Sylt-Shuttle tickets are not valid with us, and vice versa.
About RDC and the train
The operator is RDC AUTOZUG Sylt GmbH, based in Westerland on Sylt, a company of the RDC Deutschland Gruppe. RDC stands for Railroad Development Corporation, a family-run railway company based in Pittsburgh/USA, founded by Henry Posner III and with around 30 years of experience. In Germany, RDC has been active since 2009, in the business areas Schleswig-Holstein, night trains & fleet as well as infrastructure & workshops.
Since 18 October 2016, the blue AUTOZUG Sylt has been running in commercial operation – as the first private railway operating company on this route. This was preceded by the special conversion of the car transport wagons, approval by the Eisenbahn-Bundesamt and a several-month trial operation without passengers from May 2016.
Our two diesel-electric locomotives of the Siemens Vectron DE type, named "Debbie" and "Anne", which we acquired in 2018 for the blue AUTOZUG Sylt, are in regular service. They are among the most economical and quietest locomotives ever to travel on the embankment to Sylt – this is good for the environment and for residents along the route. Three further diesel-electric locomotives of the ME26 design are available as operational reserve.
They pull newly built, single-deck car transport wagons; the entire train is around 600 metres long.
There is no road over the railway embankment to the island – traditionally called the Hindenburgdamm –. Residents, holiday guests and day visitors therefore reach Sylt by rail, and around 4,000 employees commute daily from the mainland to the island. All everyday goods are also brought in by train. Whether hotels, supermarkets, doctors' surgeries or trades businesses: public life on Sylt depends on trains running reliably.
Contact and Service
Customer hotline: 04661 9808891
E-mail: info@autozug-sylt.de
Web: www.autozug-sylt.de
Customer Centre Niebüll
Bahnhofstraße 6, 25899 Niebüll
Mon.–Fri. 07:50–16:35
Sat., Sun. and on public holidays 07:50–12:15 and 12:45–16:35
Customer Centre Westerland
Industrieweg 16, 1st floor, 25980 Westerland/Sylt
Mon.–Fri. 08:30–12:30 and 13:00–16:00
On 24 and 31 December, 08:30–12:30 respectively
Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays
At weekends and on public holidays you can reach our customer centre in Niebüll by phone on 04661 9808891, as long as it is open there.
At both customer centres you will receive support with ticket purchases and reservations, can order your regular customer or business customer card free of charge, obtain information on advertising opportunities, and can take timetables and information leaflets with you. Contacts are also available there for refunds and suggestions.
Send an e-mail to info@autozug-sylt.de – with the subject "Complaint" for complaints, with the subject "Suggestion" for improvement suggestions. Alternatively, you can contact the customer centres in Niebüll or Westerland in person.
Send your application documents, stating the position you would like, by e-mail with the subject "Application" to jobs@autozug-sylt.de. You can find current vacancies in the RDC Deutschland Gruppe at www.rdc-deutschland.de/jobs.
Case of damage
When loading or unloading, inform one of the passing loading staff - without leaving your vehicle - and then follow their instructions. The damage is first recorded while still on the train. So that operations stay on time, the matter is then dealt with in writing at a later stage: using the damage management form, which you can download at www.autozug-sylt.de/sicherheit-und-fahrgastrechte.
The procedure is the same: during loading or unloading, inform a loading staff member without leaving your vehicle, and follow their instructions. The initial recording takes place on the train, with written processing carried out afterwards via a form.