Deutsche Bahn (DB) is expanding its initiative aimed at tackling dirt, vandalism, and improving safety. The company plans to invest 210 million Euros through 2030 to ensure cleaner stations and safer trains. According to DB CEO Evelyn Palla, cleaner trains and stations, alongside increased safety and comfort, should become the standard rather than the exception.
While acknowledging that things are not yet running perfectly, Palla emphasized commitment to their promise: “We are committed to our promise: the railway has to get better every day.”
The expanded program includes doubling the cleaning staff to 220 employees, who are responsible for cleaning approximately 52,000 onboard toilets every week. Furthermore, long-distance passenger trains (ICE/IC) are now undergoing intensive cleaning by hand at the Berlin-Rummelsburg workshop, which takes up to ten hours. “The dirt has to go,” Palla told “Bild am Sonntag”. “That’s why our teams grab brushes themselves. They scrub until the ICE shines.” The goal is for passengers to notice the attention to detail from the moment the train arrives.
Despite improvements-such as a 25 percent decrease in onboard WC malfunctions and faster damage resolution through 44 mobile repair teams-travel remains challenging for customers. Due to the overloaded rail network and numerous ongoing renovations, nearly half of all long-distance trains (53 percent) are currently subject to delays.
