The minister announces that Deutsche Bahn trains will achieve better punctuality by Christmas.
Germany’s Transport Minister, Volker Wissing, has announced expectations for Deutsche Bahn trains to achieve better punctuality by Christmas 2024, coinciding with the planned resumption of services on a crucial route. This news comes as a relief to passengers after a significant portion of long-distance trains faced delays in 2023.
Wissing anticipates an improvement in punctuality nationwide with the reopening of a vital line connecting Frankfurt and Mannheim on December 14th. Closure of this route has contributed to daily disruptions, affecting approximately one in every seven long-distance trains, according to Deutsche Bahn.
Although the reopening of the Riedbahn track is expected to positively impact the overall network, Germany's railway infrastructure still requires substantial upgrades. Approximately 40 high-traffic routes urgently need renovation, highlighting the ongoing challenges.
Despite Deutsche Bahn's announcement of a comprehensive renovation project for 1,800 stations and track segments in June 2023, budget constraints during the German government's fiscal crisis have led to funding cuts. To bridge this gap, Deutsche Bahn plans to divest its logistics and freight transport subsidiary, Schenker, by the end of 2024.
A recent assessment of Germany's rail network revealed its inferior condition compared to neighboring countries. Presently, only 64 percent of Deutsche Bahn trains arrive on schedule, a figure the company aims to elevate to 80 percent by 2030. This target contrasts sharply with the punctuality rate of over 90 percent recorded in 1994, the year Deutsche Bahn was privatized.