Heat and construction delays leave nearly half of long-distance trains late

Only about one in two Deutsche Bahn long-distance trains reached its destination without major delays in August. The company’s latest statistics showed punctuality at 54.2%, a modest improvement from 52.6% in both June and July.

Deutsche Bahn attributed many of the delays to sustained high temperatures during the first half of the month. The heat caused numerous infrastructure failures and led to an especially high number of speed restrictions, the company said.

Construction work added to the disruption. Projects included the corridor renovation along the right bank of the Rhine between Troisdorf and Wiesbaden, as well as work on Berlin’s Stadtbahn.

The statistics count a train as late once it arrives at least six minutes behind schedule. Canceled trains do not enter this operational punctuality measure. They are included in the separate passenger punctuality figure, which tracks the share of travelers reaching their destination no more than 14 minutes and 59 seconds late.

Passenger punctuality stood at 56.6% in August, also slightly higher than in the previous months. Bahn chief Evelyn Palla has set a target of at least 60% punctuality for the year, leaving the state-owned railway well short of its goal.

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Sustained high temperatures until the middle of the month led to many infrastructure failures and an especially high number of speed restrictions.