“This train is just a caricature of itself”

From the BZ editorial team

They were all there: the Minister of Transport, the Minister of the Interior, the head of the railway company and celebrated the innovations in a tidy, relatively empty station. A picture that normal rail customers have rarely seen in recent years.

Because while the ministers are celebrating the lights in the ground at the Südkreuz train station, Germany has been sinking into (barely noticed) train chaos for days. Trains are late, air conditioning fails, trains do not run at all or have technical problems and there is a lack of staff.

Even in the last two days, when temperatures climbed towards 40 degrees, travelers who had missed connecting trains jostled each other on hot platforms, others ran through the stations with suitcases.

In Berlin, an ICE started towards the Rhineland, which was already broken at the main station, so it could only travel slowly the rest of the way. A group of young people on their way to England missed their connecting train to Brussels.

In Cologne, the main station smelled of rubbish because the supply platforms were not cleaned despite the heat.

Almost all trains there were already late on Wednesday evening or did not run at all. A passenger on the last ICE train bound for Berlin (50 minutes late) grumbled: “This train is just a caricature of itself.” The conductor replied in consternation: “We are the scapegoats of the nation. But I understand you…”

Another conductor tried it with gallows humor: “Dear passengers, here is important information about the catering service on board today: There is none! At least not until Dortmund.”

When passengers then asked for water because of the failed air conditioning, the only answer was: “Sorry. We’re only allowed to give out water after an hour’s delay…”