Germany鈥檚 trains are running late. It鈥檚 become a national crisis.
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Mark Sappenfield Senior global correspondent
| Berlin
When Martin Seck left Germany 20 years ago, the country鈥檚 rail service was a global symbol of efficiency and punctuality. The words 鈥淕erman train鈥� were a gold standard.
Standing in Berlin鈥檚 central station now, Mr. Seck wonders what happened.
His train to Cologne is delayed by only 22 minutes, but during his month back from the United States, his disillusionment has grown with every delay. He even does the unthinkable, suggesting that a recent train trip from New York to Los Angeles on Amtrak was better managed.
Why We Wrote This
If there鈥檚 one thing everyone knows about Germany, it鈥檚 that its trains are on time. Except that鈥檚 not true at all. These days, German railways are chronically late to the point of it being a national crisis. What happened?
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to understand what鈥檚 going on鈥� in Germany, he says, adding with a smile, 鈥淚t certainly doesn鈥檛 fit the German stereotype, does it?鈥�
More than the German reputation is at stake. For a nation accustomed to competence from its government, the railway crisis is a pivotal test. February鈥檚 election showed that voters are losing faith in mainstream political parties. The new government鈥檚 primary task is to show it can get things done. And among the top items on the to-do list is fixing Germany鈥檚 railways.
The picture has never been gloomier. One-third of long-distance trains run late, and in 2024, Germany鈥檚 federal railway operator, Deutsche Bahn, or DB, paid customers a record 鈧�197 million in compensation for delayed trains. DB runs a deficit of about 鈧�5 million a day, with total debt at 鈧�34 billion.
Years of underinvestment have been compounded by multiple levels of bureaucracy, both internal and external. The government has shown some appetite to address the first problem, not the second. That raises the question of whether more money will help or merely disappear into a pit.
Over all these concerns is one that typifies Germany鈥檚 current challenge more broadly: All agree this is a moment to be bold, but not all are sure Germany is ready to embrace the boldness required.
鈥淭he new federal government doesn鈥檛 have a plan,鈥� says Andreas Knie, a lead researcher at the Berlin Social Science Center, by email. 鈥淲e need a 鈥榬ailway reform 2.0,鈥� but no one wants to tackle it right now.鈥�
In the ultimate indignity, the ultraefficient Swiss railway system has stopped waiting for German trains. If a German train arrives in Switzerland more than a few minutes late, all passengers must disembark and get on an (on time) Swiss train so as not to throw the Swiss timetables into chaos.
The problems began in Germany鈥檚 鈥渞ail reform 1.0鈥� after reunification in 1989. DB was created from the two federal railway operations in West and East 鈥� a public-private hybrid that could be sold and privatized. This plan worked for German telecom and postal services. It did not with DB.
Early on, DB made several decisions to make itself more attractive to potential buyers, such as becoming involved in rail operations abroad and cutting costs at home 鈥� terminating some lines and trimming maintenance expenses. But DB was never successful enough to sell.
To make matters more complex, the responsibility for German railways is shared between DB and states. The result is a system where key infrastructure has become dilapidated 鈥� run by partners who often act independently of one another rather than working together.
鈥淣o state has any interest in a single, unified railway,鈥� says Mr. Knie. 鈥淭he railway is, so to speak, caught in the federalism trap.鈥�
Money is needed, and some is on the way. The previous government passed a plan for 鈧�30 billion through 2029. The estimated shortfall is 鈧�45 billion.
Some railway advocates are hopeful. They note that Switzerland spends an average of 鈧�450 per person on its railways, while Germany spends 鈧�114.
Building on the investments of the previous government, the new government 鈥渋s well positioned to ... get Germany鈥檚 railway system back on track,鈥� says Dirk Flege, managing director of the nonprofit Pro-Rail Alliance, in an email.
Others aren鈥檛 so sure. The DB says the system is 鈥渢oo old, too broken, too full.鈥� But that leaves out perhaps the biggest problem: DB itself, says Felix Berschin, who recently published a study on DB finances. His conclusion was that 鈥淕ermany has forgotten how to operate railways,鈥� he says in an email interview.
Among the challenges is 鈥渢he unwillingness to take risks,鈥� he says. 鈥淚n Germany, everything has to be 鈥榳atertight,鈥� so it becomes too expensive and too complicated.鈥�
The number of regulations has exploded in the past 20 years, he says. 鈥淎ny obstruction can be justified under the label of safety,鈥� he adds, to a degree 鈥渢hat would be unthinkable in road or air traffic.鈥�
His report notes 鈥渆xcessive planning requirements鈥� such as construction noise reports for every mini-construction site, landscape management plans for temporary construction sites, and groundwater measurements for the installation of a single signal pole.
Alexandra Pfeiffer knows the effects of all these problems firsthand. Like Mr. Seck, her train from Berlin to Cologne has also been delayed. But she remains optimistic. Trains are still her preferred way to travel, and fixing things takes time. 鈥淭he punctuality is not great,鈥� she acknowledges. 鈥淏ut they have to renovate, and they can鈥檛 do it from one day to the other.鈥�
