Overview
- Recurring intermittent faults in the Gleisfreimeldung track-detection system are affecting short segments between Bellevue and Tiergarten and around Hackescher Markt–Friedrichstraße.
- Passengers are facing short-notice delays and cancellations on multiple S-Bahn lines during peak hours as signal defects propagate network-wide.
- Deutsche Bahn has formed a specialist expert group to pinpoint causes and implement solutions, but the transient nature of the faults is slowing definitive repairs.
- Operators point to aging manual interlocking equipment exacerbated by high temperatures and strong thermal cycling, which accelerate component wear.
- A nationwide upgrade to electronic signalling is on track for 2027, but full replacement of the Stadtbahn’s legacy hardware is not scheduled until the mid-2030s, leaving short-term reliability challenges