Germany threatens railway managers with bonus cuts over train delays

German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger is taking a firm stance against the chronic delays plaguing Deutsche Bahn, threatening railway managers by directly linking their bonuses to train punctuality. Bilger, who assumed office in late July following a cabinet reshuffle, declared that the current punctuality rates are "completely insufficient."

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I want to see a noticeable improvement in punctuality at the railway. The current rates are completely insufficient.

"I want to see a noticeable improvement in punctuality at the railway," Bilger told 'Bild am Sonntag'. "It will directly impact the bonus payments of railway managers if the targets set by the federal government are not met."

Under a planned agreement concerning federal infrastructure funds, specific punctuality targets will be set for management. Bilger acknowledged that achieving 100 percent punctuality is unrealistic in the foreseeable future. However, the immediate focus is on long-distance services, with an agreed-upon target of 70 percent punctuality by 2029.

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It will directly impact the bonus payments of railway managers if the targets set by the federal government are not met.

In the first half of the year, only about 60 percent of long-distance trains were on time, a figure that reportedly dropped even lower during the peak summer months. Bilger's predecessor, Patrick Schnieder, was replaced in the cabinet reshuffle. The new minister's initiative aims to inject urgency into improving the reliability of Germany's rail network.

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100 percent will not happen in the foreseeable future.