Overview

• July was the worst month of the year for long‑distance punctuality, coming in nearly six percentage points below last July.
• Passenger punctuality fell to 59.4%, a metric that includes cancellations and treats arrivals within 14 minutes 59 seconds as on time.
• Deutsche Bahn cited construction works, heat‑related embankment fires, an arson attack disrupting the Duisburg–Düsseldorf route, and a supplier software update that forced temporary speed limits around Cologne and the Rhine‑Main area.
• The railway remains far from its 2025 operational target of 65% to 70% set by departing CEO Richard Lutz.
• Transport leaders have initiated a corporate reorganisation, with Lutz’s contract to end early once a successor is appointed.