Development in the first half of 2025
- Omission of negative effects (e.g. due to GDL strikes, flooding in southern Germany) led to improvements in the first half of 2025. However, development remains challenging overall.
- Additional burdens on profits resulted from higher overall infrastructure utilization costs, among other things.
| DB Long-Distance | H1 | Change | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2024 | absolute | % | |
| Punctuality (%) | 63.4 | 62.7 | +0.7 | – |
| Punctuality (whole journey) (%) | 68.7 | 66.8 | +1.9 | – |
| Customer satisfaction (grade) | 2.5 | 2.7 | –0.2 | – |
| Passengers (million) | 66.3 | 64.2 | +2.1 | +3.3 |
| Volume sold (million pkm) | 21,949 | 20,869 | +1,080 | +5.2 |
| Volume produced (million train-path km) | 80.6 | 79.3 | +1.3 | +1.6 |
| Load factor (%) | 46.2 | 45.0 | +1.2 | – |
| Total revenues (€ million) | 2,974 | 2,803 | +171 | +6.1 |
| External revenues (€ million) | 2,881 | 2,717 | +164 | +6.0 |
| EBITDA adjusted (€ million) | 240 | 62 | +178 | – |
| EBIT adjusted (€ million) | –59 | –232 | +173 | –74.6 |
| Gross capital expenditures (€ million) | 377 | 457 | –80 | –17.5 |
| Employees as of Jun 30 1) (FTE) | 21,045 | 21,526 | –481 | –2.2 |
| Average employees 1) (FTE) | 21,112 | 21,338 | –226 | –1.1 |
1) Since the first half of 2025 excluding interns and working students. Figures as of June 30, 2024 and for the first half of 2024 have not been adjusted.
DB Long-Distance’s punctuality developed slightly more positively in the first half of 2025 than in the first half of 2024. Measures as part of the S3 restructuring program, in particular improvements in the areas of vehicle quality and on-schedule departures from the starting station, made a significant contribution to this. Despite these improvements, punctuality fell short of expectations. The main reasons were the continuing poor state of the infrastructure and the large amount of construction work, which was exacerbated by numerous construction measures required at short notice. In addition, there were isolated cases of congestion at highly utilized hubs, which impaired the quality of operations, as did non-
operational events.
In the same way as operational punctuality, the punctuality (whole journey) improved compared to the first half of 2024.
Customer satisfaction also increased compared to the first half of 2024. Personnel and travel comfort were rated particularly positively, for instance the new interior design and the seats in the ICE 3neo.
Performance developed positively in the first half of 2025.
- Number of passengers and volume sold: Noticeable increase, mainly due to the omission of negative effects from the first half of 2024. These were mainly due to strikes and individual construction-related restrictions affecting the infrastructure, particularly as a result of the modernization of the Rauheberg tunnel. The large volume of construction work in the infrastructure continues to have a negative impact. The volume sold grew even more significantly than the number of passengers due to the increase in the mean travel distance.
- Volume produced: Slight increase due to expansion of services and omission of negative effects from the first half of 2024 (especially strikes and flood-related restrictions).
- Load factor: Slight increase compared to the first half of 2024. The number of passengers and the volume produced both increased.
Economic performance improved significantly, particularly as a result of the omission of negative effects from the first half of 2024 and the measures introduced to safeguard profits, but remains challenging. The difficult operational situation continues to weigh on performance. The operating profit figures increased significantly, but adjusted EBIT remained negative:
- Revenues (+6.1%/€ +171 million): Significant increase compared to the first half of 2024, which was impacted by strikes. Higher revenues from on-board catering also had a positive effect.
- Other operating income (+37.6%/€ +74 million): Significant increase mainly due to higher income from compensation payments for damages and international vehicle rentals. This was partly offset by lower income in connection with vehicle sales.
Expenses rose noticeably, mainly as a result of higher infrastructure utilization costs and wage effects.
- Cost of materials (+4.4%/€ +76 million): Noticeable increase due in particular to higher infrastructure utilization costs as a result of price effects and higher maintenance expenses. This was partly offset by lower energy expenses due to price effects, as well as service adjustments, and optimization and digitalization measures. Customer service expenses decreased due to the omission of non-recurring effects from the first half of 2024 (primarily strikes).
- Personnel expenses (+6.3%/€ +47 million): Significant increase mainly due to wage effects.
- Depreciation (+1.7%/€ +5 million): Increase mainly due to vehicle capital expenditures in the previous year.
This was partially offset by the decline in other operating expenses:
- Other operating expenses (–10.8%/€ –52 million): Decrease due to measures implemented to safeguard profits, which led to savings in areas such as IT and consulting expenses, product measures and marketing. Expenses also fell due to the omission of more intensive customer service as a result of the strikes in the first half of 2024. On the other hand, higher vehicle rentals in connection with the expansion of international long-distance services led to additional burdens.
Capital expenditures fell due to the completion of vehicle projects, in particular, including the end of the delivery of ICE 4 trains in the previous year, but remained at a high level.
The number of employees fell slightly as of June 30, 2025, driven by developments in the areas of administration and sales.