Delays to Deutsche Bahn trains caused by the state of the infrastructure have increased significantly once again this year. “The number of delays linked to infrastructure malfunctions has risen by 40 percent,” Philipp Nagl, head of the infrastructure division DB Infrago, told Die Zeit (Thursday). He noted that the very cold winter and the very hot summer had placed an exceptional strain on the facilities.
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“Extreme temperatures damage infrastructure and hinder rapid repairs,” Nagl added. “Looking at Germany as a whole, switches, overhead lines, and signal boxes are currently still breaking down faster than we can repair them.”
In January, the punctuality of Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance services plummeted to just over 52 percent. A severe winter spell, bringing snowdrifts and frozen switches, brought train traffic across large parts of northern Germany to a standstill for days. Punctuality figures recovered somewhat in the spring, only to drop sharply again in June. Since then, the punctuality rate has consistently remained below 55 percent. An ICE or IC train is considered on time if it is delayed by less than six minutes.
Evelyn Palla, who took the helm at Deutsche Bahn last year, significantly lowered expectations regarding punctuality, stating that rapid improvements would not be possible due to the dilapidated state of the infrastructure. Her initial objective was to halt the downward trend in punctuality figures—a goal that currently does not appear to be within reach.
Author: AFP – pe/oer – Translated by Blackout News
Sources used: AFP Press Portal