Recent performance data indicates a decline in on-time performance for Deutsche Bahn (DB), Germany’s national railway company. Figures released Monday reveal that in July 2025, just 59.4 percent of long-distance travelers reached their destinations on schedule. This represents a decrease from the 67.2 percent recorded in July 2024.
The operational punctuality of high-speed ICE and IC trains fared even lower, reaching only 56.1 percent in July 2025, compared to 62.0 percent in the same month last year. Regional train services maintained a higher level of reliability, with 88.1 percent arriving on time, although this too marks a drop from the 90.2 percent achieved in July 2024.
Deutsche Bahn attributes the declining punctuality rates to a combination of factors, including a high volume of short-notice construction projects, equipment failures and ongoing infrastructure work. The company also cited external events, specifically the early July heatwave and subsequent wildfires and embankment fires, as contributing to increased disruption across the rail network.
