Following the departure of Deutsche Bahn’s CEO Richard Lutz, leading political figures are urging the rail operator to prioritize improvements for passengers.
Sebastian Steineke, consumer protection spokesperson for the CDU parliamentary group, suggested reinstating family reservations as an initial signal of change, stating it would demonstrate a commitment to customer needs. Matthias Gastel, transport policy spokesperson for the Green Party, echoed this sentiment, expressing support for the return of family reservations.
Steineke emphasized the need for leadership that consistently prioritizes the passenger perspective, focusing on punctuality, service quality and price stability. He described current rail travel as increasingly unpredictable, marked by frequent delays and cancellations. Consequently, he called for improvements to traveler compensation procedures, particularly through digitalization and automated processes.
Expanding on compensation, Steineke suggested lowering the threshold for delay compensation from 60 to 30 minutes as a demonstration of accountability. He also advocated for independent third-party quality control as a supplement to existing oversight mechanisms, stressing the importance of ensuring effective use of public funding allocated to the rail operator.
Gastel similarly highlighted the necessity of prioritizing passenger needs. He suggested better coordination of construction activities to minimize disruption during essential maintenance and upgrades. Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of enhanced communication to travelers in instances of schedule deviations, ensuring passengers are adequately informed of changes to their journeys.
