German Railway Company Plans to Scrap Numerous Long-Haul Trains
Troubles on the rails for rail passengers could be intensifying, as allegedly, Deutsche Bahn (Bahn) plans to slash numerous long-distance train connections and potentially jack up ticket prices.
Leaked documents to the Federal Network Agency suggest that Bahn might scale down its Intercity trains nationwide next year, with several cities supposedly losing long-distance trains. This is particularly anticipated in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and other locations. According to rumors, the following lines may no longer have long-distance trains:
- Karlsruhe - Stuttgart - Aalen - Crailsheim - Nuremberg - Leipzig via the Saale Valley (Intercity Line 61)
- Gera - Weimar - Erfurt - Gotha - Kassel - Dortmund - Cologne (Intercity Line 51)
- Norddeich Mole - Munster - Dortmund - Siegen - Frankfurt (Intercity Line 34)
Insider reports also claim that the availability of ICE trains to Stralsund on the Baltic Sea could drastically drop during off-peak seasons. The affected Intercitys and ICEs are among the least utilized trains in the German Railway network. However, it's said that the abolishment of Dresden to Rostock Intercity connection might be averted due to political pressure.
The cancellations are reportedly due to a capital increase at Bahn that requires the infrastructure division to substantially raise the track access fee. This would render many connections unprofitable. The increased track access fee, according to the company spokesperson, puts DB Fernverkehr AG "in a significant challenge and cannot be compensated for in view of the currently challenging economic situation."
The same spokesperson didn't dismiss the possibility of hiking ticket prices: "If the increase in the announced magnitude, which is significantly above the inflation-adjusted cost increase, were directly passed on to the DB Fernverkehr AG, then offers reductions and also a price increase for tickets would be unavoidable." In simpler terms, "unprofitable trains would no longer be viable, and the offering would have to be accordingly reduced."
Bahn remained tight-lipped about the individual lines scheduled for termination on Tuesday evening. As a rule, the company reportedly refuses to comment on confidential correspondence.
