Deutsche Bahn Ranks Third for Traveler Experience in T&E Train Rankings
Deutsche Bahn Offers Comfort but Faces Delays, T&E Ranking Reveals
Traveling with Deutsche Bahn promises comfort but is marred by delays, according to a new ranking by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E). Meanwhile, FlixTrain claimed the top spot for affordability.
Ranking European Rail Operators in 2024
T&E, Europe’s leading advocate for clean transport and energy, described rail as “one of the cornerstones of the zero-emission mobility system.”
To evaluate passenger satisfaction across Europe, T&E assessed 27 rail operators based on eight criteria: ticket prices, special fares, reliability, booking experience, compensation policies, customer experience, night trains, and cycling policies. Each criterion was weighted according to its importance to passengers. Ticket prices contributed 25% to the final score, while night train development and cycling policies each accounted for 5%.
Trenitalia emerged as Europe’s best rail operator, followed by SBB (Switzerland), RegioJet (Czech Republic), ÖBB (Austria), and SNCF (France).
The accompanying report highlighted best practices and encouraged operators to learn from one another to improve services. “We advocate for policy changes that will help European rail maximise its climate potential,” the report stated.
Deutsche Bahn: Mixed Performance in Rankings
Deutsche Bahn’s reputation has suffered in recent years due to underfunded infrastructure and chronic delays, with disruption during the Euros debunking the myth of German punctuality.
These issues contributed to Deutsche Bahn’s below-average overall score of 5.9 out of 10. The rail operator ranked second-worst for reliability (2.5) and performed poorly in compensating passengers for disruptions (5.8).
However, Deutsche Bahn excelled in “booking experience” and “customer experience.” It ranked second-best for booking (9.6), with the report emphasizing the importance of efficient, flexible, and user-friendly systems to attract passengers. In the “customer/traveller experience” category, Deutsche Bahn was ranked third-best in Europe (8.7), thanks to features like internet access, onboard restaurants, plug sockets, and train speed.
FlixTrain: Leading in Affordability
Germany’s budget rail operator, FlixTrain, outperformed Deutsche Bahn in affordability, reliability, and compensation policies. The Munich-based company, founded in 2018, ranked fourth overall for booking experience and claimed the top spot in Europe for affordability.
In April 2024, FlixTrain announced its largest expansion yet, increasing services between German cities by 40%. The report highlighted that FlixTrain fares for routes like Berlin to Hamburg are 5.5 times lower than Deutsche Bahn’s.
Interestingly, the analysis found no strong link between high ticket prices and service quality. Operators like Eurostar, Avanti West Coast, and Great Western Railway had some of the highest fares but did not excel in other categories. Conversely, Czech operators CD Rail and RegioJet offered affordable prices alongside relatively high scores.