Railway Infrastructure: Rail: From 2029, punctuality is expected to improve again
The railways are becoming less punctual, despite renovating routes. DB InfraGo head Philipp Nagl cites 2029 as a turning point - but until then, there are still tricky construction sites to navigate.
Germany's long-distance trains are becoming increasingly delayed despite extensive rail network renovations. DB InfraGo head Philipp Nagl has announced a timeline for improvement, citing the completion of critical renovations, including the Hannover-Berlin route by the end of 2025 and the Hamburg-Hannover route in 2029. The renovations aim to upgrade the aging rail network, with dozens of routes affected.
However, punctuality in long-distance travel has decreased to 60% in 2023 from 64% in 2022, and is expected to worsen in 2026, far from the government's target of 70% by 2029. Nagl attributes the delays to outdated technical infrastructure, which is prone to breakdowns, and high traffic volume on the routes.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
