German Intercity Trains Fail Punctuality Standards, Lag Behind UK

A recent analysis reveals that Germany's state-owned rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, has a lower punctuality rate than even the UK's worst-performing train operator, Avanti West Coast. Despite German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's dismissal of privatization proposals, arguing it would lead to further failures like in the UK, the data shows only 72% of Deutsche Bahn's intercity trains arrived within 10 minutes of their scheduled time, compared to 78% in Britain. The analysis, based on over 1.9 billion train arrivals, also indicates that services from Germany to Amsterdam are delayed by an average of almost 13 minutes. Furthermore, only 39% of German long-distance trains experienced delays of less than 60 seconds, while Avanti West Coast managed this for 41% of its services. This situation highlights a significant backlog in infrastructure investment in Germany, with the rail issues becoming a central topic in the upcoming federal elections. The findings shed light on the broader challenges facing Germany's rail system, which has deteriorated significantly in recent decades.