Overview

• Punctuality rates rose to 94 percent for Hamburg Hochbahn and to 93.4 percent for VHH in the first half of 2025.
• Cancellation rates plunged for Hochbahn from 2.1 percent to 0.4 percent—cutting missed trips from 57,000 to 10,800—and for VHH from 6.7 percent to 2.3 percent.
• Average operating speeds declined to 18.8 km/h for Hochbahn and to 20.4 km/h for VHH despite the city’s acceleration measures.
• The red-green Senate has poured hundreds of millions into bus-priority schemes, alternative fuels and subsidies to accommodate rising ridership and lower emissions.
• CDU transport expert Philipp Heißner criticised the absence of a coherent strategy and called for a holistic plan that also addresses smoother car traffic.