Winter timetable of the train: Small steps towards “Deutschlandtakt”

The winter train timetable comes into effect. The company advertises with a larger offer and more modern trains. In fact, passenger numbers are increasing. But this also brings the system closer to the limit.

Every half hour from Cologne to Munich, more connections to Frankfurt Airport and more international night trains: these are some of the improvements that Deutsche Bahn is using to advertise its winter timetable, which applies from today. “We have significantly more seats for more passengers. The number of trains is increasing, the number of seats is increasing,” says Deutsche Bahn spokesman Achim Stauss.

With the deadline, the company believes that it is one step closer to its main goal: the “Deutschlandtakt”. This is the name of the idea of ​​a nationwide timetable in which all important connections are coordinated. The image of a Germany in which travelers largely do without planes and cars because the train runs so quickly and suitably for the connecting train – and almost always on time. The railway wants to approach this ideal state bit by bit. The number of passengers should double by 2030, and the vision “Deutschlandtakt” should almost be a reality.

In the present, the railway can only present showcase projects such as the new Wendlingen-Ulm line. There are now two trains per hour in each direction between Cologne and Munich. For Stauss “another step in the direction of ‘Deutschlandtakt’. And you reach your destination 15 minutes faster”.

Network almost at the limit

Karl-Peter Naumann from the Pro Bahn passenger association also sees the winter timetable as largely positive: “There are many small improvements.” The steps of the train led in the right direction. “But some improvements bring about deterioration for others. The network is almost fully utilized. A good example is the RE2 between Berlin and Cottbus. It gets more stops – but it’s also slower.” This shifts the arrival times of the RE2.

The result: travelers miss – annoyingly close – the next train. “If they want to get in from the west, they only see the taillights,” says Naumann.

The example shows the constraints in which the railway is stuck. The network is almost full, every change must be carefully considered. Simply sending more trains onto the route is not that easy – they would quickly overload the already tight schedule. In addition, trains have to be ordered years in advance, workshops have to be equipped and staff have to be trained.

Small steps, no miracles

Passenger lobbyist Naumann himself knows that no miracles can be expected from the state-owned company: “The railways do it as well as possible.” He also understands the delays caused by the numerous construction sites: “If you haven’t invested enough in the infrastructure for 20 or 30 years, then it has to be brutally reworked now.”

Stauss also admits that the network couldn’t take much more traffic: “We want to make maximum use of the infrastructure, that’s what we built it for.” So much more than what the company is currently getting on track is not possible. The railway is enjoying growing popularity. And that almost becomes a problem. “In summer and autumn we even had more passengers in long-distance transport than before the pandemic,” says Stauss. “Our network has not grown as much as rail traffic in recent years. Rail hubs such as Hamburg and Cologne or routes through the Ruhr area are sometimes more than 100 percent utilized.”

More rail customers, more construction work

There are many reasons for the growing popularity: More people are vacationing in Germany, Deutsche Bahn has purchased more attractive new trains and made prices more flexible. In addition, the environmentally friendly image of the railway fits in with the spirit of the times. “We notice that very clearly in the numbers and also in the customer surveys,” says Stauss.

In order to meet the demand – and to get closer to the dream of the “Deutschlandtakt” as quickly as possible – Deutsche Bahn wants to take drastic measures. In the future, important routes are to be completely renovated in a hurry. After that, they should be usable for years without having to be repaired. The Frankfurt-Mannheim route is scheduled to start in 2024. The catch: the route has to be completely closed for a few months for the extensive construction work.