The punctuality of Deutsche Bahn continues to decline. In June, only 58 percent of long-distance trains reached their destination on time, as the company announced on Friday. In regional transport it was 88.5 percent. Both are the weakest monthly values since the end of 2010.
A railway spokesman attributed this to intensive construction work throughout the network and to the fact that there were a lot of passenger and freight trains on central rail routes. In addition, the large rush caused by the 9-euro ticket means that regional trains often cannot depart on time. According to Deutsche Bahn definition, stops with a delay of less than six minutes are on time.
The 9-euro ticket is also used extensively by customers of Deutsche Bahn’s competitors. The railway company Abellio Mitteldeutschland recorded significantly more passengers in June. Overall, the number of passengers in the two networks, which are mainly operated in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, rose by 59 percent to 2.35 million people compared to the previous month, the Halle-based company said on Friday.
The growth was particularly strong in the Saxony-Anhalt diesel network, where the number of passengers rose by 74 percent. In the Saale-Thuringia-Südharz network, in which significantly more people are traveling with Abellio trains, the company has transported 49 percent more passengers, it said.
“The 9-euro ticket attracts people to the trains,” said Rolf Schafferath, Managing Director of Abellio Central Germany. However, the success also shows that there is a need for action. “In order to win people over to rail as a climate-friendly and cost-effective means of transport in the long term, politicians must invest significantly more in infrastructure and services, and do so in the long term,” he demanded.
