Heat and construction keep Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance trains late in August

Deutsche Bahn’s long-distance punctuality improved only slightly in August, with 54.2% of trains reaching their destinations without major delays. The figure rose from 52.6% in each of the previous two months but remained well below the state-owned company’s target.

The railway attributed the delays partly to prolonged high temperatures through the first half of the month. The heat caused numerous infrastructure faults and an especially high number of speed restrictions, the company said.

Extensive construction work also slowed services. Projects included corridor rehabilitation along the right bank of the Rhine between Troisdorf and Wiesbaden, as well as work on Berlin’s Stadtbahn railway.

Under Deutsche Bahn’s operational punctuality measure, a train counts as late after a delay of six minutes. Cancellations are excluded from that figure and included in a separate passenger punctuality measure. That measure counts travelers who arrive no more than 14 minutes and 59 seconds late.

Passenger punctuality reached 56.6% in August, also a slight improvement on previous months but still not considered satisfactory. CEO Evelyn Palla has set a target of at least 60% for the year, leaving the company significantly short of its goal.

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Persistently high temperatures through the first half of the month led to many infrastructure faults and an especially high number of speed restrictions.