Berlin
Deutsche Bahn cannot get its unpunctuality under control. Every third long-distance train reached its destination late last year. The reason was not only the route renovations.
In Deutsche Bahn long-distance transport, more trains were late in 2022 than they have been in more than ten years. The punctuality rate was 65.2 percent in the past twelve months, as the group announced. For comparison: In 2021, 75.2 percent of all long-distance trains reached their destination on time, in the first Corona year 2020 even almost 82 percent.
“The outdated and scarce infrastructure, intensive construction activity and, from the second quarter, a rapidly growing volume of long-distance and local traffic have put rail operations under pressure overall,” said Deutsche Bahn. For the current year, the group has set itself a goal of at least 70 percent punctuality in long-distance transport – in previous years, Deutsche Bahn aimed for a value of over 80 percent.
A train is considered late in the statistics if it arrives at a stop with a delay of more than six minutes. Train cancellations are not taken into account.
Punctuality in long-distance transport fell over the course of the year from 80.9 percent in January to less than 60 percent in summer – a level that passengers last experienced in the snow chaos at the end of 2010. In the autumn, the railways then managed the 60 percent mark again.
In regional transport, punctuality was significantly higher last year at 91.8 percent. The course of the year is similar in comparison to long-distance traffic: In summer – i.e. during the 9-euro ticket with far more passengers – the lowest values were recorded, after which the trains ran more punctually again. In autumn, the rate was always over 90 percent.
