Chaos on the rails: DB is fighting massive delays in Berlin!

Chaos on the rails: DB is fighting massive delays in Berlin!

Today, June 16, 2025, travelers between Berlin and Stralsund must expect significant disruptions to rail traffic. Deutsche Bahn (DB) reports a defective signal box that is leading to deviations in the timetable. Concrete effects are already noticeable: There could be delays or even cancellation of connections for many long-distance trains, including the popular ICE lines with stops in Bernau, Eberswalde, Angermünde and Greifswald. Instead, a replacement stop will be set up in Neustrelitz.

How news.de DB staff are already on duty to resolve the disruption as quickly as possible. Travelers are urged to find out about their connection in advance. The online service on bahn.de, the DB Navigator app and telephone travel information are available for this purpose.

Punctuality on the rails

Deutsche Bahn's punctuality statistics look bleak for 2023: Only around 64 percent of long-distance trains arrived at their destination on time, compared to 65.2 percent in 2022. Around 36 percent of trains were at least six minutes late. DB Regio traffic performed significantly better, with trains that were between 92 and 93 percent punctual in the first quarter of 2023. However, such delays can cause devastating chain reactions across the entire rail network, as researchers at the Complexity Science Hub discover. They warn that any delay usually also delays other trains.

These problems are not only reflected in the statistics, but also lead to compensation. For delays of more than 60 minutes, passengers are entitled to a refund of 25 percent of the fare, and for delays of more than 120 minutes even 50 percent. In 2022, DB paid almost 93 million euros to travelers entitled to compensation, which corresponds to around 1.8 percent of its revenue from long-distance transport. For many, this is a not insignificant sum.

Plan damage in the signal box

Another striking example of system difficulties is cable damage in the signal box, which will severely restrict train traffic to Oberstdorf from November 3rd. Deutsche Bahn has begun planning for the complete renovation of the affected signal box, which could take several years. Currently only one track in Oberstdorf station can be used, which means there will be extensive timetable changes. The DB therefore recommends that you find out about the connections in good time deutschebahn.com informed.

In summary, it can be said that the current problems in rail transport pose numerous challenges for both travelers and Deutsche Bahn itself. Maintaining functioning rail transport remains a constant balancing act that demands a lot from those responsible.

It remains to be hoped that technical improvements, such as the introduction of electronic signal boxes, will make the railways in Germany more punctual and reliable in the future. Current studies show that expanding the range of train connections could even lead to an improvement in punctuality by up to 20 percent, as in BR reported railway study shows.