Nearly a fourth of trains operated by German Railways in June experienced delays - Almost half of the long-distance trains in June experienced delays.
In a bid to enhance service reliability, German Rail, also known as Deutsche Bahn, is making concerted efforts to improve the punctuality of long-distance trains. The current target for long-distance trains is set around trains arriving within 6 minutes of the scheduled time. However, recent performance has been notably poor, with only about 62% of long-distance trains arriving within 6 minutes of their scheduled arrival time in April and May 2025[2].
In contrast, the overall punctuality rate for all passenger trains, including local and regional services, was around 90.2% in February 2025[1], indicating that regional trains perform much better than long-distance services. This level of punctuality has been publicly criticized by German transport officials, with the transport minister declaring in late June 2025 that "60 per cent punctuality on the railways is unacceptable"[3].
To address this issue, Deutsche Bahn has initiated several measures. Infrastructure investments, digitalisation, and AI tools are being utilised to enhance reliability and reduce delays, as part of the restructuring programme titled "turnaround plan S3," launched in September 2024[4][5].
The state-owned German Rail company has set a target range of 65 to 70 percent for long-distance train punctuality this year. However, reaching this target will be a daily struggle, according to Richard Lutz, the CEO of German Rail[6]. For the entire first half of the year, German Rail expects punctuality in long-distance traffic to be around 64%[7].
The reasons for the low punctuality for long-distance trains include the dilapidated infrastructure and extensive construction work in the network, as well as other unspecified factors[8]. In June, approximately 43% of German Rail's long-distance trains were delayed, with only 57.1% of ICE and IC trains arriving on time[8]. This is a decrease from 68 percent in May for passenger punctuality[9].
It's important to note that the punctuality target of 65 to 70 percent for long-distance trains does not apply to regional trains, as their punctuality target is different. Despite weather events affecting the punctuality of regional trains in June, such as those in Berlin, their performance was better than long-distance trains, with 88.9% of regional trains on time in June (down from 89.9% in May)[10].
The low punctuality for long-distance trains in June is not solely attributed to weather events, as previously stated for regional trains. In June, the percentage of passengers arriving at their destination with less than 15 minutes delay was 62.9 percent[11].
Richard Lutz, the CEO of German Rail, recently reaffirmed this punctuality target, acknowledging the challenges ahead but expressing confidence in the company's ability to improve service reliability with the implementation of the turnaround plan S3.
The community policy at German Rail, aimed at enhancing service reliability, includes a focus on infrastructure investments, digitalisation, and AI tools, as part of the turnaround plan S3. To achieve the target range of 65 to 70 percent for long-distance train punctuality this year, the company is also embracing vocational training programs to upskill its workforce in various areas, including transportation and finance industries.
