BERLIN (dpa-AFX) – Suddenly the display shows: The ICE, which was supposed to start from platform 4, is leaving from platform 11. Hundreds of stressed travelers rush to the platform stairs. Many passengers are annoyed by the fact that notices of disruptions, delays or train cancellations are often not received promptly and reliably. The railway wants to tackle the nuisance and also work on the data sources in order to soon offer better notifications.
“Customers should notice this year that customer information is getting better,” said CEO Eveyln Palla of the German Press Agency. “In the past, we have not focused enough on this fundamentally important issue for passengers,” she admitted. “Especially when there are many timetable deviations, it is important that we keep our passengers well informed and have current, reliable and consistent data in the various customer channels.”
Information from multiple sources
With more than 20,000 long-distance and regional trains running every day at the federally owned Deutsche Bahn alone, information about deviations from plans is a complex matter. “Good customer information is an interaction between several actors,” explained Palla. Data about the position of the trains and information about track changes in the station would come from the operator of the rail network, the subsidiary DB InfraGo. “We want to get them into the information systems as early as possible – directly when they are available.”
“The other source of information is the transport companies that travel by rail. That’s where the delay forecasts and, for example, information about the train order are created,” said the railway boss. For DB’s own long-distance and regional trains, they now want to import more precise data from the control centers into the customer systems more quickly.
Competitors also have to follow suit
In order to improve the overall situation for passengers, competitors also come into play, who are now competing with the railway, especially in regional transport. It is important that all other rail transport companies also import precise data so that good customer information is provided across the board, said the railway boss. “In the end, this is a joint task for the entire industry.”
New technology should also help with the railway. “We have to rely even more on artificial intelligence than in the past; we can achieve improvements, especially when it comes to delay forecasts.” Currently, passengers often have to contend with the fact that forecasts keep changing during the journey – and in the end no one knows exactly when the train will arrive and whether the connecting connection can be reached.
Three instant programs
Better information is one of the three immediate programs with which the new railway boss and Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) want to achieve short-term improvements. A first program for more safety and cleanliness at the train stations and a second for more comfort on long-distance trains have already been presented.
For the ICE and Intercity, this is about better available toilets and offers in on-board catering. The program is expected to cost around 20 million euros extra per year. It is still unclear when the last traveler information service will start. The purpose of all three programs: Passengers should now realize that something is changing for the better on the railway, as Palla said. She called for patience when it came to the extensive renovation of the dilapidated track network, which was the main cause of delays: “It will take us ten years to get the rails in Germany in order.”
Palla: We also want to restructure the rail business economically
For the federally owned group, which operates as a stock corporation, this is also reflected in the economic prospects. “Of course we also have to achieve growth again. To do this we can improve the utilization of our trains,” said Palla. “But given the limited network capacity, we cannot currently send any more trains onto the rails.”
The bottom line on the balance sheets was recently in the red. The railway boss also emphasized: “We want to stabilize the railway business in Germany operationally, but of course also economically. That must be our goal, and that is what we are pursuing. We are on the right track.” With regard to the sale of the globally active logistics subsidiary Schenker, which was usually a reliable source of profit, she explained: “It’s not about keeping the group economically healthy with any foreign business.”
Palla said: “We have already finished 2025 better than previous years.” A comprehensive renovation concept is being developed for long-distance transport. The freight train subsidiary DB Cargo is the biggest problem child. “We are currently embarking on a restructuring course with very tough cuts.” And there are also structural changes and reductions in bureaucracy within the group, which should contribute to profitability./maa/DP/stk
