Status: 08.07.2022 7:46 p.m
The punctuality of the train continues to decrease. Not even six out of ten long-distance trains ran as scheduled. Delays also increased on regional trains. According to DB, the reason for this is a lot of construction sites and the rush for the 9-euro ticket.
In June, the train was less punctual than it had been in a good ten years. Only 58 percent of all long-distance trains reached their destination on time, Deutsche Bahn announced – the previous month the figure was 62.7 percent. In regional transport it was 88.5 percent in June. Both are the weakest monthly values since the end of 2010 – at that time snow masses and freezing rain brought traffic to a standstill in places at Christmas.
Construction sites and 9-euro ticket rush
Today, on the other hand, construction sites and too much traffic are the problems, according to Deutsche Bahn: “Intense construction activity throughout the DB network and the very high utilization of central rail routes by passenger and freight trains continue to have a negative impact on punctuality,” said a spokesman.
In regional traffic, the rush caused by the 9-euro ticket is added: it ensures that many regional trains cannot start on time. In May – before the introduction of the 9-euro ticket – more than 98 percent of regional trains were still on time.
According to railway statistics, all trains that are delayed by no more than six minutes are considered punctual.
Many are asking for money back
Many passengers demand compensation for their delayed trains. A quarter of the ticket price can be reclaimed if the delay is at least one hour, and half if it is more than two hours late.
Deutsche Bahn did not want to give specific figures for compensation applications, but the responsible service center explains on its website that there could be delays due to the large number of applications.
A few weeks ago, CEO Richard Lutz set the goal of achieving 80 percent punctuality in long-distance transport this year. In the meantime, the railway is well below the previous year’s value of 75 percent.