Overview

• VCD, Allianz pro Schiene and Pro Bahn oppose reducing long-distance frequencies, calling the idea a false logic for improving punctuality.
• The transport ministry has set a goal for around 70% of long-distance trains to be on time by the end of 2029 and plans a "Reliable Railway" working group.
• The associations criticize the planned panel for excluding passenger groups and fear that "offer optimization" in congested nodes could mean fewer trains.
• They urge network renovation and targeted operational fixes, including reducing door malfunctions, to improve reliability without shrinking service.
• More than one third of ICE and IC services were six minutes or more late in the first half of the year, with strained infrastructure and overloaded hubs such as Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt and Berlin cited as key causes.