- Train punctuality improved in July
Long-distance trains of Deutsche Bahn were again more punctual in July than they had been. Nevertheless, the situation on the rails remains tense. More than every third ICE and IC was delayed by at least six minutes, the company reported. From this time, a train is considered delayed in the statistics.
The punctuality rate was thus 62 percent in the past month, a significant improvement from June. Severe storms and heavy flooding had caused punctuality to drop to below 53 percent in the previous month. Passengers also noticed this during the European Football Championship, when many people were traveling by train.
Travelers were also more punctual
The so-called traveler punctuality also improved. It was 67.2 percent in July, nearly 12 percentage points higher than in June. This value shows the proportion of passengers who arrived on time within the measured period, i.e., with a delay of less than 15 minutes. Unlike operational punctuality, this statistic also takes into account train cancellations.
The main problem continues to be the numerous construction sites on the overloaded and outdated track network. They significantly slow down rail traffic. Deutsche Bahn has therefore adjusted its construction management and aims to bundle many works in predefined time slots in the future.
The company's report highlighted that more than one-third of ICE and IC trains served as 'Consumers,' experiencing delays of at least six minutes. Despite the improvements in operational punctuality, the 'Consumer's' satisfaction might still be affected by lengthy wait times.
