Trains in Germany collapse!

Trains in Germany: definition of precision for the second. Upon departure and arrival. old! Not funny. Delays, cancellations and missed responses. The German railway network is not what it used to be. But why is one of the great myths of post-war Europe collapsing? Experts say that the railway network in a country that was previously known for its efficiency has deteriorated severely due to decades of lack of investment.

Nearly half of the long-haul flights arrived in late November! In fact, the phrase that Germans have become accustomed to recently is the one heard over the public announcement system on the railway platform: “We ask for your understanding.”

Most of them express their dissatisfaction

Messages of frustration and anger multiply. When you plan any flight, especially if it is connecting to another station, it is very likely that you will miss it knowing that you have to go several hours late for any appointment in your destination city.

The enviable land of efficiency has seen in recent years how its once amazing railway service, with full, safe and on-time coverage, has deteriorated to the point that last November nearly half of its long-distance trains arrived late.

Annual statistics show the problem. It closed in 2023 with only 64% accuracy. This means that only two out of three flights adhered to their planned schedule. Deutsche Bahn acknowledges the disaster and attributes it largely to “a lot of repair work on the tracks.”

Rail infrastructure is decades behind. Germany prefers to invest in roads rather than railways. Switzerland and Austria significantly outperformed Germany.

German trains have become a subject of ridicule on social networks. Users share their stories of cancellations, delays, and lost connections, sometimes with sarcasm, other times with exasperation.

Germany's trains are outdated

Every time something different

Track works, mechanical breakdowns, staff shortages, bad weather, delays on the previous route. But prices are still high. A few months ago, their Swiss neighbors complained publicly that constant delays of German trains entering their territory were affecting their network.

Switzerland prides itself on the fact that its railways run like clockwork. In 2022, with an accuracy of 92%, it was found that eight of the ten trains that suffered the largest number of delays started their routes in German cities! The coalition government led by Social Democrat Olaf Sölls is well aware of this problem.

Last September, he announced a plan to support Deutsche Bahn with an additional amount of 24 billion euros. In total, it is estimated that railways need 88 billion euros to return to what they were before, and it has won the admiration of all of Europe, as reported and acknowledged by all German media after extensive reports from foreign networks.

Deutsche Bahn describes its infrastructure as “modest” and estimates that in the medium term it will be necessary to replace more than a quarter of the rails. The Department of Transportation in Liberal hands is ready to do just that. The main lanes will remain completely closed for several months to repair tracks and stations at a time. So the Germans are waiting for a few more years of suffering and delay. Long-distance trains will take some time to regain the accuracy of decades past. There had to be a beginning…