Deutsche Bahn CEO: Punctuality Rate of 58.7% is 'Not Good'

Deutsche Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla acknowledged that the company's punctuality rate for long-distance trains in the first half of the year, at 58.7%, is "not good" and requires improvement. She stated that the company is not meeting its target of at least 60% punctuality for the current year.

Palla, however, pointed out that in three-quarters of the delayed instances, the delays were less than 15 minutes. She also clarified that train cancellations are not factored into the operational punctuality metric, which measures the percentage of trains arriving at their destination on time. Deutsche Bahn considers a train delayed if it is more than six minutes late.

Despite the unsatisfactory punctuality figures, Palla urged against overly negative portrayals of the company, stating, "Even if we are not satisfied overall, we should not always talk about Deutsche Bahn as worse than it is." She would personally give the company a grade of "3" overall, but a "4 minus" specifically for reliability, reflecting the punctuality issues.

Palla also cited a lack of performance culture in the former management as a reason for the company's past struggles, calling it "organized irresponsibility." Since taking over last year, she has initiated a corporate restructuring aimed at streamlining the headquarters and decentralizing responsibility. Palla emphasized that performance starts at the top, with herself and the executive board leading by example.