More than one in ten ICEs in Switzerland may not continue due to delay
German ICE Trains to Switzerland Have Too Many Delays, Swiss Rail Stops Them From Continuing. In the first quarter, this was the case for more than one in ten ICE trains, according to statements from the Federal Transport Ministry in response to a query from Green MP Matthias Gastel. The ministry cited infrastructure problems and strikes by the locomotive drivers' union GDL as the main causes.
On the ICE line from Munich to Zurich, 60 out of 545 journeys had to be terminated prematurely in the first quarter (11%). In the entire year 2022, it was only 1.2%, and in 2023, 2.1%. In these years, external causes such as bad weather and accidents were primarily responsible. However, in the first quarter of 2024, infrastructure problems accounted for 75%.
On the line from Freiburg to Basel, the proportion of ICE trains that were stopped by the Swiss Rail at the border station in Badischer Bahnhof Basel was already quite high in the years 2022 and 2023, with over 9% in each year. In the first quarter of 2024, this figure rose to 12.4%. 252 out of 2028 ICE trains did not reach their destination station Basel SBB. The increase, according to the statements, is mainly due to the GDL strikes.
The trains of the Swiss Rail have a very high punctuality rate. To prevent delays of German ICE trains from affecting the Swiss network, trains that are significantly delayed at the border are stopped and must turn back. "Other countries are already quite afraid of the risk of taking on untpunctuality from Germany," explained Green MP Gastel.
The increased number of delays for German ICE trains entering Switzerland in the first quarter of 2024 led to more than one out of every twelve ICE trains being stopped from continuing, affecting the Swiss rail network. These delays can have significant effects on the Swiss rail system, as highlighted by German MP Matthias Gastel. Despite Switzerland's renowned punctuality rate, the delayed German ICE trains pose a challenge, with the Swiss Rail employing measures to mitigate their impact, such as stopping trains at the border station.
