In 2025 Deutsche Bahn set a new passenger record, with 1.93 billion travelers-an increase of 3.4 % year‑on‑year, according to Bild’s Friday edition, which cites the company’s upcoming annual report.
The jump is largely driven by regional traffic: roughly 1.8 billion passengers used DB Regio services, helped by securing new route tenders in places such as Saxony‑Anhalt and the line between Stuttgart and Lake Constance. Long‑distance demand stayed flat at 136 million ICE/IC passengers.
Nevertheless, the annual report highlights that the firm still faces a “construction‑site paradox”: the appetite for travel remains high, yet operations suffer from deteriorating infrastructure. A high volume of construction is explicitly identified as the main culprit behind the growing punctuality problems.
