FAQ
We have compiled here the most frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers about the AUTOZUG Sylt.
General
If you want to travel from the German mainland to the island of Sylt by car, you need to book a crossing on the car train. The island of Sylt is connected to the mainland by a causeway on which only trains can run. There is no road. Car trains to and from Sylt work like this: travellers drive their vehicle to the loading terminal, board the car train there, and travel to the island on the train piggyback-style. During the entire crossing (approx. 35 minutes), drivers and passengers remain in their vehicle.
1. Station: At check-in, you buy your ticket or show the ticket you booked online beforehand. On the blue AUTOZUG Sylt, this process is handled by the friendly service team (no machines).
2. Station: After check-in, follow the instructions and drive on into the waiting lanes up to the barrier. Depending on how much time is left until loading begins, it is worth going to the WC or the kiosk. If you are on foot at the terminal, please pay close attention to traffic. Around 10 minutes before the train departs, a green traffic light indicates that boarding the train is beginning. All occupants of the vehicle must then be safely seated in the vehicle again.
3. Station: At slow walking pace, each car drives in one after the other onto the blue AUTOZUG Sylt on the staff's instructions. A member of staff guides each driver individually to their parking position on the train and shows them exactly where to park the vehicle. The driver and all occupants in the vehicle must remain seated in their vehicle with seat belts fastened for the entire crossing after boarding the train (approx. 35 minutes).
4. Station: Before the train departs, safety announcements are made over the loudspeakers and must be followed without exception. For example, you must pull on your handbrake firmly!
5. Station: The train only stops again at the unloading station Westerland/Sylt. Any unscheduled stop of the train occurs solely for route-related reasons. The vehicle may not be left even if the train stops.
6. Station: After the train arrives in Westerland, the vehicles slowly and carefully drive off the train one after the other and continue straight on. No check-out is required.
The instructions of the staff and the safety instructions described in the flyer must be followed without exception.
Timetable
You can find the current timetables in the Timetable menu item.
The journey time to/from Sylt is scheduled to take approx. 35 minutes.
Vehicles
The blue AUTOZUG Sylt transports cars, SUVs, vans, vehicles with trailers, lorries, coaches and caravan combinations and motorhomes up to a maximum height of 4.05 metres, a maximum width of 2.86 m, a maximum length of 20.50 m, and a maximum weight of 50.0 t. All vehicles must have a ground clearance of at least 10 centimetres and a minimum weight of 800 kg.
Yes. Bicycles may be carried if they are permanently mounted on the motor vehicle (roof rack or rear rack). Vehicles that weigh more than 3.0 t when loaded are transported facing the opposite direction of travel. The driver is responsible for ensuring that the bicycles are properly secured to the vehicle.
The AUTOZUG Sylt offers space for up to 110 vehicles. Depending on vehicle height and vehicle length, these are positioned either in the direction of travel or opposite to the direction of travel.
Connection of the island
The island of Sylt is connected to the mainland via the Hindenburgdamm. Only trains can run on the Hindenburgdamm. In addition to travelling by local and long-distance passenger trains, it is also possible to have your vehicle transported. Loading onto the train takes place on the mainland at the car train terminal in Niebüll, and on Sylt at the car train terminal in Westerland. Passengers remain seated in their vehicles during the 39-kilometre crossing. Special safety requirements apply for this. There are also flight connections to and from Sylt, as well as a ferry connection via Denmark.
The supply of the island of Sylt is largely handled by rail. Whether food, building materials or textiles – transport takes place by rail. In addition, around 4,000 employees from businesses and companies commute daily from the mainland to the island. Whether hotels, supermarkets, medical practices or craft businesses – only when the local transport train brings commuters to the island on time does public life on the island function.
Sylt depends on tourism. For many guests, travelling in their vehicle on the car train is part of the holiday experience. It is especially convenient for families to have their own car with them on holiday for transporting luggage and for driving around the island.
RDC and the blue AUTOZUG Sylt
"RDC" stands for Railroad Development Corporation (www.rrdc.com). The medium-sized railway company based in Pittsburgh/USA, founded by Henry Posner III., has more than 25 years of experience.
The philosophy of the family-owned RDC company is to bring more environmentally friendly transport onto the railways internationally through better rail services in selected railway projects. Management is always staffed with recognised rail and transport experts from the respective countries. They know the local transport markets and bring extensive experience in the establishment and development of railway companies.
In Germany, RDC has been active successfully since 2009. At present, the RDC Deutschland Gruppe operates in the business areas "EVU Schleswig-Holstein", "Night trains & fleet" as well as "Infrastructure & workshops". In addition to the blue AUTOZUG Sylt, RDC AUTOZUG Sylt GmbH (based in Westerland/Sylt), in cooperation with Norddeutsche Eisenbahn Niebüll, operates the RDC freight train Schleswig-Holstein.
The AUTOZUG Sylt transports passengers in their vehicles across the Hindenburgdamm from the mainland to the island of Sylt and back again. In spring 2015, RDC Deutschland, as the first private provider, received a framework contract with a 10-year term for the AUTOZUG Sylt. After special modifications to the car transport wagons and successful approval by the Eisenbahnbundesamt, a several-month trial operation without passengers began in May 2016. Further optimisations to the transport wagons followed. On 18 October 2016, the AUTOZUG Sylt then successfully commenced commercial operations.
On Sylt, our customer centre in Westerland at the entrance to the loading terminal offers personal information and on-site service from Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm (address: Industrieweg 16, 1st floor). On the mainland, passengers, business and regular customers as well as other interested parties can visit the RDC customer centre in Niebüll (Bahnhofstraße 6, 25899 Niebüll). It is open from Monday to Friday during office hours from 8.30 am to 12.30 pm and 1.00 pm to 4.00 pm. The administrative office of RDC AUTOZUG Sylt GmbH is also located in Niebüll at Bahnhofstraße 6. I Telephone: 04661-736 8721
At Bahnhofstraße 6 in Niebüll and at Industriestraße 16 on Sylt (1st floor), the team is available for personal information about the blue AUTOZUG Sylt and more. Here you can get support with ticket purchases and reservation requests, order your business or regular customer card free of charge, obtain information on advertising options, or take timetables and information flyers with you. There are also contacts for ticket refund cases or other suggestions regarding the train offers.
Our two blue locomotives "Debbie" and "Anne" are among the most reliable, quietest and most sustainable diesel-electric locomotives in the world. This means we place as little burden as possible on nature and the environment, as well as on the residents along the railway line.
The AUTOZUG Sylt offers islanders, holidaymakers and guests an alternative on the route from Sylt to the mainland (Westerland <> Niebüll). On our blue flat wagons, you always travel on the top deck with an unobstructed view of the Wadden Sea – and all at a favourable price.
One terminal – Two car train operators
Yes. The terminals in Niebüll (mainland) and Westerland (Sylt) are available to both car train operators for loading and unloading. On arrival at the terminal grounds, passengers line up in their own, appropriately marked loading lanes. The handling of the blue AUTOZUG Sylt takes place in Niebüll on the right in lanes 9 to 11. In Westerland/Sylt it is on the left in lanes 1+2.
Access to the blue AUTOZUG Sylt is via the signposted auto train terminals.
Niebüll: Kurt-Bachmann-Ring 2 I 25899 Niebüll
Westerland/Sylt: Industrieweg 18 I 25980 Westerland/Sylt
In Niebüll: lanes 9 to 11 (far right)
In Westerland/Sylt: lanes 1 and 2 (far left)
Please follow the instructions of the service staff at the loading terminal in this case.
In the event that customers with an AUTOZUG Sylt ticket are unable to travel on the scheduled train due to an operational disruption, special arrangements have been agreed. In this case, please follow the instructions of the service staff at the loading terminal.
No. The prices of DB Sylt Shuttle and AUTOZUG Sylt differ.
You can find our current prices here.
No. The blue AUTOZUG Sylt has its own, state-of-the-art fleet of vehicles, with newly built, single-deck car transport wagons. Our two bright blue locomotives "Anne" and "Debbie" were newly built in 2018 "made in Germany" by Siemens for us. The diesel-electric locomotives of the Vectron DE type are regarded as the most modern, most fuel-efficient, most sustainable and, not least, quietest locomotives ever to operate on the Hindenburgdamm. They are also very reliable. In total, our train including the locomotive is around 600 metres long and has a capacity of up to 110 vehicles. We transport cars, SUVs, lorries, trucks, buses, caravans, motorhomes, vehicles with trailers, among others. Passengers enjoy uninterrupted all-round views of the Wadden Sea at all times with us (no obstructive upper deck) and a particularly flexible transport option in terms of height, also for lorries, buses and the vital supply traffic of the island of Sylt.
The blue AUTOZUG Sylt carries cars, SUVs, vans, vehicles with trailers, lorries, coaches, motorhomes and caravan combinations up to a maximum height of 4.05 metres, a maximum width of 2.86 m, a maximum length of 20.50 m and a maximum weight of 50.0 t. Lowered vehicles and certain sports car models must also observe a minimum ground clearance of ten centimetres.
No. You need a ticket for the AUTOZUG Sylt for this. You can simply buy your ticket directly on site from our friendly service staff at the waiting lanes of the AUTOZUG Sylt. Pay conveniently in cash or with a debit/credit card from your vehicle.
Safety during the crossing
If there are waiting times at the terminal and you wish to get off, please pay attention to the traffic around you.
- Please 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 lever to “P”.
- Switch off the lights!
- Make sure that all vehicle occupants are wearing seat belts during the crossing – even if the train stops en route!
- Exiting the vehicle on the train is prohibited!
- ONLY in emergencies, pull hard on the red emergency brake cable at the side of your vehicle (misuse is punishable by law!).
- Otherwise, follow the instructions of our train staff.
Information, Praise and Criticism
Website: www.autozug-sylt.de
E-mail: info@autozug-sylt.de
Customer hotline: T. 04661 9808891
Customer Centre Westerland:
Industrieweg 16. 1st floor, 25980 Sylt Westerland
Opening hours:
Mon. – Fri.: 07:50 – 16:35
Sat. – Sun. (as well as public holidays): 07:50 – 12:15 and 12:45 – 16:35
Customer Centre Niebüll:
Bahnhofstraße 6, 25899 Niebül
Opening hours:
Mon. – Fri.: 7:50 – 16:30
Sat.: 8:50 – 16:30
Facebook fan page:
https://www.facebook.com/rdc.deutschlandgruppe
Instagram fan page:
www.instagram.com/rdc.deutschlandgruppe
Email with the subject “Complaint” to info@autozug-sylt.de.
E-mail with the subject “Suggestion” to info@autozug-sylt.de.
We are always pleased to receive committed applicants.
Please send your informative application documents, including details of your desired position, by email with the subject line “Application” to: jobs@autozug-sylt.de
Claims management
If your vehicle is damaged, please inform the loading staff passing by the vehicle during loading or unloading - without leaving your car to do so. Please then follow the instructions of the loading staff. In the interests of punctual handling, the written recording is not completed in full on the train, but using the form afterwards in a calm setting.
The initial recording of a damage case takes place on the train. For the subsequent processing, the following form is used: Damage management form
If you cause damage to the train with your vehicle, please inform a loading staff member passing by your vehicle during loading or unloading – without leaving your car to do so. Please then follow the instructions of the loading staff member. In the interests of a punctual process, the written recording is not completed in full on the train, but afterwards using a form in peace and quiet.