German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said on Thursday it would improve the punctuality and reliability of trains over the next six months, after just 62.7% of long-distance trains reached their destination without major delays in the first half of 2020. 2024.
Train delays were a major problem among football fans visiting Germany as the country hosted the Euro 2024 football tournament, prompting widespread commentary about the apparent myth of Germany as a modern and efficient country.
“We are anticipating an improvement in punctuality in the second half of the year,” Deutsche Bahn Chief Executive Richard Lutz said during the presentation of the company’s semi-annual report on Thursday in Berlin.
By the end of the year, the objective is for 63% to 67% of long-distance trains to run without major delays.
Only 52.9% of trains arrived on time in the first half of the year, with June being a particularly bad month, Deutsche Bahn said. Trains are considered late if they arrive at their destination at least 6 minutes later than scheduled.
Rail travel across Germany has been hampered by industrial strikes, poor infrastructure and an unexpected number of extreme weather events, according to the state-owned company.
“Together, this alone cost us about 7 percentage points in on-time performance,” Lutz said.
Rail problems also led to a notable decline in passenger numbers in the first half of the year. The company reported that 64.2 million passengers traveled on long-distance trains during this period, 6% less than in the same period last year.
To improve train punctuality in the short term, Deutsche Bahn said it plans to have more vehicles on standby to respond to disruptions and interruptions.
The ICE 4 high-speed trains, which make up a large part of the long-distance fleet, will be prioritized in the future for short-term maintenance work so that they can quickly return to service.
