Punctuality of German Rail at Only 52.1 Percent in January - Germany's trains hit record delays as winter and aging rails take their toll
Germany's rail network faced another challenging year in 2025, with long-distance train punctuality hitting a record low. Severe winter weather and aging infrastructure pushed on-time performance down to 60.1%, marking a further decline from previous years. Authorities now plan major reforms and funding to address the ongoing crisis.
The year began with heavy snow and ice in January, causing punctuality on Deutsche Bahn's long-distance services to plummet to 52.1%. Around 5,000 employees worked daily to clear frozen switches and ice from tracks. The situation worsened in October, when punctuality fell to a historic low of 51.5%.
Winter storm Elli struck later in the year, leaving 3,000 kilometres of track in northern Germany temporarily impassable. These disruptions added to the long-standing issues of an aging rail network, which has struggled with reliability for years.
In response, the federal government has committed €23 billion in investments for 2026. New DB CEO Evelyn Palla has also introduced a reform agenda to improve the network's performance. Her immediate target is to raise punctuality back to 60% by the end of 2026.
The planned reforms and funding aim to reverse the decline in Germany's rail reliability. With €23 billion allocated and a clear punctuality goal set, authorities hope to stabilize long-distance services. The success of these measures will depend on how quickly infrastructure upgrades and operational changes take effect.
