Deutsche Bahn: In May only 62 percent of long -distance trains on time

Deutsche Bahn does not get punctuality under control. In May, almost 40 percent of long -distance trains were on the road with delays – significantly more than targeted. In a European comparison, the railway does poorly: countries such as Switzerland (SBB) or Japan (Shinkansen) reach punctuality rates of over 90 percent. This is due to the more modern infrastructure and a better separation of long-distance and regional traffic.

The long -distance trains of the Deutsche Bahn were more unpunctual in May than in the previous year. Only 62 percent of the ICE and IC trains achieved their goal last month without delay, as corporate digital director Daniela Gerd Tom said “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. A year ago it was 63.1 percent, which indicates stagnation or even slight deterioration. The railway is actually aiming for a punctuality corridor of 65 to 70 percent for 2025. “We are absolutely not satisfied with that,” emphasized Gerd Tom Markotten with a view to the current values. “The reasons are mainly in the infrastructure. This is too old, too full and too prone to interference.” According to current reports, around 40 percent of the rail network in need of renovation are in need of renovation. As a result, numerous construction sites to renovate the network braked the long-distance trains of the group, especially on highly frequented north-south corridors.

As a late, a train goes into the statistics from a delay of six minutes. Train failures are not taken into account. However, these are recorded in the so -called traveling punctuality. It shows what percentage of travelers reached their destination in a certain period of time, with less than 15 minutes delay. In May this value was 68 percent and was therefore as high as in the same month. The stability of this value could indicate that train failures have not increased significantly compared to the previous year, which is a small ray of hope.

The persistent unpunctuality leads to growing resentment in passengers. Deutsche Bahn offers compensation for delays from 60 minutes (25 percent of the fare) or 120 minutes (50 percent), but many travelers find the processing as bureaucratic. The railway is currently in a year -old renovation process – also financially. One component is the so -called general renovations of busy corridors, such as the Riedbahn (Frankfurt – Mannheim). The all-round modernizations are intended to reduce the susceptibility to interference on the routes and increase reliability. According to the DB, around 40 corridors are to be completely renovated by 2030. However, these measures initially lead to further impairments, since routes are completely blocked. Until passengers notice noticeable improvements, years are still likely to pass.