Deutsche Bahn achieves record delays in November
Punctual as a railroad, that has not been true in Germany for a long time. In November, almost every second train arrives late. That is a new negative record.
According to a newspaper report, Deutsche Bahn was more unpunctual recently than it has been for eight years. In November, almost every second train on Deutsche Bahn's long-distance services was late, reports "Bild am Sonntag". A DB spokesperson said: "In November, 52 percent of ICE and IC trains reached their destination on time. At the same time, around 75 percent of long-distance trains were slowed down by at least one construction site on their journey."
"Due to the massive refurbishment backlog, DB has had to significantly increase the construction volume in the current year," added the Group spokesperson according to "BamS". According to the company, the reason for the worst punctuality figures for long-distance rail services in eight years is primarily the "short-term construction activity", which has increased significantly year-on-year. In November 2023, the number of construction sites had increased by eleven percent compared to the previous year. According to the report, punctuality fell by nine percentage points compared to November 2022.
In January 2023, 73.2% of trains were still on time, but this figure had fallen to 63.5% by the middle of the year before reaching its current low in November. A train is considered punctual if it is no more than six minutes late. "Punctuality does not meet our own standards and does not live up to the services that our passengers rightly expect from us," "BamS" quoted the Deutsche Bahn spokesperson as saying. In September, only 58.4 percent of all ICE and IC trains arrived at their destination without major delays.
This weekend, the weather also contributed to problems in rail traffic. Munich Central Station was closed on Saturday due to heavy snowfall and long-distance services in the greater Munich area were suspended.
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Despite these challenges, Deutsche Bahn's delays are a concern on the international stage. The German railroad's performance in November was the least punctual in eight years, affecting many long-distance services. This inconsistency could potentially impact Germany's reputation on the European International rail network.
Source: www.ntv.de
