Almost every second Deutsche Bahn long-distance train was delayed again in August. According to preliminary data, the punctuality rate improved slightly from 52.6 to 54.2 percent, the railway operator announced.
"Persistently high temperatures lasting into the first half of the month still led to numerous equipment failures and a particularly high number of speed-restricted sections," the company explained. With the first heatwave in June, DB's punctuality figures had already slumped to 52.6 percent, and they remained at that level in July. In May, 61.1 percent of trains were still running on time; in April the figure stood at 64.4 percent.
The railway also pointed to the continued high volume of construction work, "with the corridor renovation on the right bank of the Rhine, the works on the Hamburg Verbindungsbahn or the closure of the Berlin Stadtbahn." Efforts are being made to reduce the impact. Among other measures, the concept of corridor renovations, which in some cases involve full line closures lasting several months, is set to be revised.
An ICE or IC is classed as punctual if it is less than six minutes late. According to the railway's figures, punctuality in regional transport stood at 88.5 percent in August, a slight improvement compared with July.
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