To measure punctuality, we continuously compare the scheduled arrival time to the actual arrival time for every performed train/bus run. We summarize the arrival of trains/buses on schedule or up to a defined maximum delay in the punctuality rate.

Punctuality in rail transport in Germany has continued to decline despite the intensive management of operational quality. This is due in particular to the following structural issues:

• Poor condition of facilities: The infrastructure is outdated and overloaded and the number of facilities in need of renewal is continuing to rise. This is leading to disruptions affecting old interlockings, superstructures and dilapidated rail bridges, among other things. The result is a large number of restricted speed sections, which frequently lead to delays over a long period of time.
• Intensive construction activity: In order to modernize the rail network, extensive construction activity again took place in the first half of 2025. This led to capacity restrictions and, in some cases, critical levels of line utilization. In particular, construction work that became necessary at short notice, with unstable construction planning processes, had a negative impact on operating quality. A large number of trains are affected by construction work as a result, thereby causing additional delays.
• High traffic density: Most of the growth in traffic is occurring in the already highly utilized traffic hubs such as Hamburg, Frankfurt am Main or Cologne. These selective overloads of the infrastructure cause high levels of delays which are transferred to the entire network.
• Staff shortages: In some key operational functions (e.g. traffic controllers and train drivers), the strained labor market situation is still having a noticeable impact. This is exacerbated by short-term absences, e.g. due to illness, which means that staff coverage in these areas remains challenging in some cases.
• Other events: Individual incidents can have a major negative impact on the operational stability of the entire network, particularly when they occur at major hubs or on critical lines. In the first half of 2025, these included incidents such as the collision between an ICE train and a truck trailer south of Hamburg in February 2025 as well as actions by public authorities, such as the defusing of a Second World War bomb in Cologne and the knife attack at Hamburg Central Station in May 2025, but also external influences on rail operations, such as the major fire at a waste disposal company in May 2025 or the damage to overhead wires caused by flying birds in Hanover in June 2025.

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