German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is aiming to restore punctuality in regional services to above 90%, although it has not set a specific timeline for achieving the target, a senior executive has told dpa.
“The challenge is to stop the downward trend quickly. We need to find new solutions together across the system,” Harmen van Zijderveld, head of DB’s regional transport subsidiary DB Regio, said in an interview.
Van Zijderveld said he hoped construction projects this year would bring “further noticeable improvements” on the infrastructure side. Infrastructure subsidiary DB InfraGo has scheduled around 28,000 construction sites for this year.
Regional rail services last achieved a punctuality rate above 90% in March 2025. In April 2026, punctuality stood at 89.1%.
“Our goal is to return to a stable level above 90% punctuality,” van Zijderveld said.
Regional services remain significantly more punctual than long-distance trains, partly because of their shorter routes. Regional transport also operates many more services overall, meaning individual delays carry less weight in the statistics.
Germany’s deteriorating rail infrastructure is widely seen as the main cause of delays, with much of the rail network is in poor condition.
Last year, there were around 26,000 construction projects worth €19.9 billion. Around €23 billion has been allocated for infrastructure works this year.
Overloaded rail hubs, especially in major cities, are another source of delays.
“We see that in some situations the timetable no longer makes sense given the strain on the infrastructure,” van Zijderveld said.
Minor disruptions can quickly affect large numbers of trains because services run at very short intervals, he said.
