Deutsche Bahn expert commission considers cutting train frequency to improve punctuality

Deutsche Bahn has established a new expert commission, named "Robuster Fahrplan," to find ways to improve punctuality amid record-level infrastructure repairs. The group is scheduled to begin its work in Berlin on 3 November. One proposed solution being considered is reducing the number of trains running on heavily used routes to ease congestion.

Proposals for reduced service

The core idea behind the proposal is that cutting traffic on the tracks could lead to more reliable schedules. Enak Ferlemann, the former federal government commissioner for rail affairs, told the Tagesspiegel that a practical example could involve reducing long-distance services between Berlin and Hamburg from every 30 minutes to once per hour to ensure they arrive reliably.

Ferlemann is a member of the supervisory board of DB InfraGo, the subsidiary responsible for infrastructure, and according to information provided by InfraGo to the Bundestag transport committee—as reported by dpa and Tagesspiegel—he is also set to sit on the commission. The commission will receive support from the Swiss company SMA and Partner, which specialises in timetables.

A spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn told Tagesschau and taz that the experts will hold several meetings to discuss various options in an open-ended manner. Proposals for increased reliability on the rails are expected to be presented in the new year, after which the results will be evaluated alongside politicians, federal states, and the industry.

Infrastructure strain and industry criticism

The current lack of punctuality is largely attributed to poor infrastructure and systemic overloading. According to information provided by InfraGo to the Bundestag transport committee, more than ten per cent of trains ran on routes with an occupancy rate of over 115 per cent in 2025. Consequently, congestion on the tracks is increasing; reports indicate that "traffic jam delays" have risen by 150 per cent over the last ten years.

While Deutsche Bahn is currently conducting repairs and construction at record levels, passengers have seen little benefit so far. In most months of the current year, nearly every second long-distance train has been delayed. Last year, only 60 per cent of all long-distance trains arrived at their destinations without significant delays.

The proposal to reduce service has met with criticism from the industry. Dirk Flege, managing director of the lobby association Allianz pro Schiene, told taz that running fewer trains results in fuller trains rather than automatically more punctual ones. He warned that in the worst-case scenario, the remaining trains could become even less reliable because they might be unable to depart due to overcrowding.

This piece was generated automatically by an AI model from the sources listed below. It has not been reviewed by a human editor.

Sources

• Vorschlag für mehr Pünktlichkeit der Bahn: Weniger Züge auf der Strecke — Tagesschau
• Expertenkommission eingesetzt: Weniger Züge, dafür mehr Pünktlichkeit? — taz