DB admits to structural deficiencies during the European Championships
International newspapers and fans criticize and complain about numerous delay in long-distance trains during the European Football Championship. Even the Belgian national team arrived in Cologne slightly delayed. The railway apologizes for the failure with insufficient infrastructure and the weather.
Following clear criticism from numerous football fans, the German Railway explained deficits in long-distance services during the EM with infrastructure issues. "We weren't quite up to par, our traffic during the European Championship didn't run smoothly," said Bahnspokesperson Anja Broker on ARD-"Morgenmagazin".
So far, six million people have been on the move with the railway during the EM. "That's a huge travel surge. But the infrastructure in Germany is old and worn out and not reliable, that was also a challenge for us," explained Broker as a reason for the problems. In addition, there were heavy rains and floods in June, 400 trains passed by dam failures and flooded tracks. "One thing led to another," said Broker.
Belgian team complained about internet problems
Reports of train disruptions and overcrowded platforms, as well as numerous delays in long-distance trains, caused a stir. Even the Belgian national team, which traveled to Cologne by train during the group matches, arrived at the Cologne station with a ten-minute delay and complained that the WLAN did not suffice to follow the group match between Ukraine and Slovakia, according to Sport1.
The railway had announced before the tournament that it would offer an additional 10,000 seating places per day in long-distance services. Upcoming construction work was also brought forward to prevent delays and disruptions on important lines during the tournament. The railway also offers special Euro-24 tickets, with which the journey to the venue costs only 29.90 euros.
Despite the railway's efforts to enhance capacity and minimize disruptions during the European Football Championship, issues persisted. The German Railways acknowledged that the aging and worn-out infrastructure, coupled with unexpected weather conditions, contributed to the delays and service disruptions, impacting the economy and travel plans of millions of people, including the Belgian national team.
