Deutsche Bahn considers cutting services to improve punctuality — Der Spiegel

In Germany, Deutsche Bahn is examining, according to Der Spiegel, whether reducing the number of trains could improve their punctuality. To this end, the company has tasked an independent commission of experts with assessing how much traffic the railway network can handle in its current condition.

Overloaded network

Former Federal Government Commissioner for Railways Enak Ferlemann will be a member of the commission. He also sits on the supervisory board of DB InfraGO, a Deutsche Bahn subsidiary responsible for railway infrastructure. He told Tagesspiegel that too many trains are running on the tracks given their condition.

According to Ferlemann, the commission is to analyse the network's available capacity and propose ways to improve punctuality with lower traffic intensity. As a possible example, he cited the route between Berlin and Hamburg: instead of a long-distance train every 30 minutes, one train per hour could run there, but on a reliable schedule.

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Delay indicators

A Deutsche Bahn report to members of the Bundestag's Transport Committee states that in 2025, more than 10% of trains travelled on sections loaded at more than 115%. Over the past ten years, delays caused by network congestion have increased by 150%.

In September, only 52.4% of long-distance trains arrived at their destination on time. The commission is to be assisted in determining how many trains the German network can handle in its current condition by Swiss company SMA und Partner AG, which specialises in timetables.