The head of Deutsche Bahn (DB), Evelyn Palla, reports seeing the first measurable results from the multi-million euro quality program aimed at improving cleanliness and safety across the railway system. Palla told the “Bild” newspaper, “We are renovating the backbone of the railway.” She added that until all necessary renovations are complete, special initiatives are in place to ensure better comfort, cleanliness, and safety.
The initial assessment of the service offensive, which has cost approximately 70 million euros, includes cleaning 1,400 railway stations-a doubling of the figure from the previous year. Furthermore, 1.5 million square meters of area have been cleaned.
To address defects and combat graffiti, 44 artisan teams have been set up, supported by 200 new employees. On platforms and in trains, additional security units are patrolling, contributing a total of 100,000 deployment hours. Since the beginning of the year, 220 sanitation staff have logged 180,000 work hours onboard the trains.
The traveler association Pro Bahn welcomes the progress. Detlef Neuß, the association’s leader, stated to the newspaper that the quality offensive is “fundamentally positive.” He noted that it is leading to cleaner trains and stations, and that the security staff has been reinforced. However, he also pointed out that there remains significant room for improvement in customer service, particularly with passenger information during major disruptions.
