German rail network chief: long-distance trains won't run more on time before 2029
DB InfraGo CEO Philipp Nagl named 2029 as the turning point. Until then, aging switches, overhead lines and signal boxes will slow trains; infrastructure-related delays rose 40% in 2026.
Symbolic image · Photo: Geoprofi Lars / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Deutsche Bahn passengers face years more of delays: Philipp Nagl, head of the rail operator's infrastructure unit DB InfraGo, does not expect long-distance trains to become noticeably more punctual until 2029, when the most difficult overhauls will be finished, he told the weekly Die Zeit. The Hanover–Berlin line is being rebuilt through the end of 2027, with Hamburg–Hanover following in 2029.
Long-distance punctuality has fallen despite the overhauls, from 64% in 2023 to about 60% last year, and dpa reported that 2026 is likely to be worse. That leaves the Transport Ministry's target of at least 70% by the end of 2029 far out of reach.
Nagl blamed aging equipment. Delays caused by faults in switches, overhead lines and signal boxes rose 40% in 2026, partly because of a very cold winter and a hot summer, he said. Lines such as Hamburg–Berlin also carry far more traffic than they were built for.