Results corrected by “way”. Germany cancels trains to improve delay statistics

The German state railway carrier Deutsche Bahn cancels trains to improve delay statistics, “Der Spiegel” said on Friday, citing the company's internal documents and conversations with its employees. Thanks to such procedures, DB can present business data more favorable.

“Der Spiegel” gave an example of one of the trains of the Munich-Hamburg relationship, who, being delayed, finished the run in Cologne prematurely. Officially, “lack of staff” was given as the reason. The sources of the newspaper have confirmed that “the universal procedure is to cancel trains for statistical purposes.” The company with small delays can then boast at press conferences and business meetings.

In Deutsche Bahn, the train is considered to go according to the schedule, if it is less than six minutes late. If the passage is canceled, it does not count in statistics.

“Der Spiegel” noted that Deutsche Bahn has a debt of EUR 22 billion, and in the first half of 2025 the company suffered a loss of EUR 760 million. Hence, “Fixation on numbers seems to be a strategic calculation”, which aims to “force concessions from the owner, i.e. the federal government” – said Gazeta. (PAP)

MOBR/ AKL/