Deutsche Bahn Trains Far More Punctual Over Christmas

Over the Christmas holidays, Deutsche Bahn trains were significantly more punctual than usual. The punctuality rate for long-distance services was over 75% on December 24th, 25th, and 26th. This was partly due to the reduction of construction work over the holidays. - AFP

Over the Christmas holidays, Deutsche Bahn trains were significantly more punctual than usual. The punctuality rate for long-distance travel was over 75% on December 24, 25, and 26, a company spokesperson told the AFP news agency on Saturday. This was around 20 percentage points higher than the November average. Deutsche Bahn cited high staffing and train deployment levels, as well as a reduction in construction sites over the holidays.

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According to Deutsche Bahn, around five million passengers traveled on the company's ICE or Intercity trains over the Christmas period. Deutsche Bahn put “everything that can roll” on the tracks, explained Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla. “Many construction sites are taking a break.”

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“Punctuality was above average, partly because we reduced construction sites to a minimum,” said company spokesman Achim Stauß. According to Deutsche Bahn, operational punctuality in long-distance rail travel was only 54.5% in November. The lowest monthly figure this year was 51.5 percent in October, while the best was 66.9% in January.

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DB's ICE and Intercity trains were “well over 60%” full during the Christmas period, the railway company added. It pointed out that the number of seats available had increased significantly in recent years with the addition of new vehicles to the ICE fleet. Even on the days with the highest passenger volumes, December 19 and 26, there were “no significant restrictions in rail operations,” the company emphasized. The most heavily used connections were Berlin-Munich, Berlin-Frankfurt, and Berlin-Cologne.

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According to its own statements, Deutsche Bahn deployed more service personnel and so-called passenger guides at major stations to ensure smooth Christmas traffic. In addition, additional “on-board cleaners” were deployed on trains around the holidays for the first time this year, it said. This additional cleaning staff is one of the first measures of the immediate program for cleaner trains. With this program, Deutsche Bahn aims to implement the Federal Ministry of Transport's “Agenda for Satisfied Rail Customers.”
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