Overview
- The experts' group called "Robuster Fahrplan" was convened by DB and DB InfraGO and will begin work on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with timetable analysis support from Swiss firm SMA & Partner and proposals due in early 2027.
- DB has cited severe network strain to justify the review, saying that in 2025 more than 10 percent of trains ran on sections with over 115 percent utilization and that only about 52 percent of long‑distance trains were on time in September.
- One scenario under study is a targeted reduction of services on the busiest corridors to stop cascade delays, for example cutting some Berlin–Hamburg long‑distance frequencies from every 30 minutes to once an hour.
- Rail operators, freight groups and lobbyists have pushed back, arguing cuts would mean fuller trains and not guaranteed punctuality and instead demand faster capacity expansion, stronger political control of DB InfraGO and use of the proposed Infraplan.
- The review comes as acute technical failures — at a power/we switch near Siegburg, a central signal box in the Ruhr, and a computer outage in the Pfalz — have forced cancellations and long delays, highlighting why DB says short‑term fixes are needed even while it carries out record‑level track work.