Unpunctuality of Deutsche Bahn: SBB rejects more and more trains
Deutsche Bahn's chronic unpunctuality has far-reaching consequences for international rail traffic, especially for connections to Switzerland. The inadequate punctuality of German trains not only affects passengers in Germany, but also has a direct impact on cross-border traffic. The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) have responded to this issue by stopping many trains at the border, causing significant delays and inconvenience for travelers. Punctuality in Deutsche Bahn's long-distance services has been a pressing problem for years. In 2023, only 64 percent of trains arrived at their destination on time, already taking into account a generous buffer of six minutes. These figures reflect Deutsche Bahn's ongoing difficulties in terms of operations and infrastructure. The ongoing delays not only affect passengers in Germany, but also cause problems for international connections. Deutsche Bahn's delays have a significant impact on cross-border traffic to Switzerland. In the first quarter of 2024, according to a response from the Federal Ministry of Transport to a request from Bundestag member Matthias Gastel (Greens), eleven percent of all German trains on the Munich-Zurich route were stopped at the border. This represents a drastic increase compared to the previous year, when only two percent of trains were stopped. On the Freiburg-Basel route, 12,4 percent of trains had to turn around, compared to less than ten percent last year. These measures by the SBB are a direct reaction to the repeated delays and have significant consequences for travelers. Punctuality and regular timetable of the Swiss railways The Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) are