Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) maintains confidence in the reliability of Deutsche Bahn, even in the wake of a total system failure and despite anticipated disruptions caused by increasing heat. On Friday, during the RTL/ntv program “Frühstart,” Schnieder stated, “Yes, you can rely on Deutsche Bahn.”
While acknowledging that heat invariably causes problems-not just for the DB, but globally-the minister emphasized that Deutsche Bahn has made significant improvements in recent years. He warned, however, that in extreme temperatures, issues like a failing switch or a breakdown in air conditioning are still impossible to rule out. Fortunately, preventative measures are in place, including mobile teams capable of quickly repairing such damage aboard the trains. Nevertheless, the minister conceded, “We hope that it holds up, but with these record temperatures, no one is immune.”
Regarding the recent nationwide rail stoppage, Schnieder demanded that the railway company fully clarify the causes and refine its emergency mechanisms. He pointed out that the radio network likely collapsed due to a module exchange, noting that the major lapse was the failure to immediately switch to the emergency operational level, suggesting further technical problems were at play. “That must not happen, because it has enormous consequences,” Schnieder stressed.
He further explained that shutting down all traffic is the absolute last resort when communication with individual trains is lost. This scenario must be avoided moving forward, requiring a thorough investigation into all causes. “And then we must ensure that if the network is affected-this can also happen due to an external attack, as it is a very vulnerable infrastructure-that an emergency mechanism activates immediately, preventing these enormous ripple effects.”
