According to the Spanish newspaper El País on January 21, the public address system on the train platform heard a phrase that the Germans have recently become accustomed to: "We ask for your understanding. "Oops, another train is late. This did not surprise 53-year-old Monica Wolfe. Wolf is a middle manager in an afterparts company. She was waiting for a train to Berlin at a train station in Mannheim, in southwestern Germany. "It's even less common for trains to be on time these days than the other way around," she said. When planning any trip, you have to be mentally prepared: if you are going to transfer to another train, you are likely to miss the train you are connecting to, and you need to be aware that if you are going to another city for any activities, you must allow a few hours in advance. There was more frustration in Wolfe's tone than anger.
In recent years, the efficiency nation has seen how its once-enviable rail service has deteriorated, the report said. The coverage, punctuality and safety of German trains were once enviable, and by November last year, almost half of the country's long-distance trains were delayed. Deutsche Bahn acknowledged the disastrous situation. A spokesperson for the company attributed it mainly to "a lot of track repair work".
After decades of neglect, Germany's railway infrastructure has become dilapidated. For years, the car-making powerhouse preferred to invest in roads rather than railways. Now, the results of this are being felt.
On social media, German trains have become the object of ridicule. There are various reasons why trains don't get on time: track work, delays on the previous train, mechanical breakdowns, lack of manpower, bad weather, ......Not only is the service poor, but the ticket ** is also high.
A particularly painful blow to the wounded self-esteem of the Germans came a few months ago, when their Swiss neighbours publicly complained that German trains entering Switzerland were often on time, thus affecting the operation of the Swiss railway network. In 2022, Swiss trains had a 92% on-time performance. According to an analysis by Switzerland**, 8 of the 10 trains with the most significant delays originate in German cities. That 8% delay is not the fault of the Swiss Federal Railways, but the fault of Deutsche Bahn. (Compiled by Tian Ce).