German rail operator Deutsche Bahn aims to restore punctuality in regional services to above 90%, although it has not set a specific timeline for achieving this target.
Historically, regional trains from Deutsche Bahn, or DB Regio, did perform well, with punctuality consistently above 90%. But the German rail operator’s aging, worn-out network is undergoing simultaneous renovations across countless locations, leading to massive capacity issues, especially at busy hubs such as Frankfurt, Cologne, and Hamburg.
Added to this are technical defects in the rolling stock and staff shortages.
28,000 construction sites
Regional rail services last achieved a punctuality rate above 90% in March 2025. In April 2026, punctuality stood at 89.1%.
Regional services remain significantly more punctual than long-distance trains, partly because of their shorter routes. Regional transport also operates many more services overall, meaning individual delays carry less weight in the statistics.
“Our goal is to return to a stable level above 90% punctuality,” Harmen van Zijderveld, head of DB’s regional transport subsidiary DB Regio, has said. He hopes that this year’s construction projects will bring “further noticeable improvements” to the infrastructure. Infrastructure subsidiary DB InfraGo has scheduled around 28,000 construction sites for this year.
Germany’s deteriorating rail infrastructure is widely seen as the main cause of delays, with much of the rail network in poor condition. Last year, there were around 26,000 construction projects worth 19.9 billion euros. Around 23 billion euros have been allocated for infrastructure works this year.
Nearly 10% more passengers
But despite all the construction work on the German rail network, the number of passengers on regional trains rose sharply – partly due to rising gas prices. In April, there were 12 million more passengers, nearly 10% more than in the same period last year.
To capitalize on this growing interest, DB is offering the Probe-BahnCard 25 this summer for just €5,99, exclusively to new Deutschlandticket subscribers through DB channels. That’s nearly 70% cheaper than the normal price of €19,90. With the BahnCard 25, you get a 25% discount on flex, spar, and super-spar prices for train tickets. It is valid for both regional and long-distance travel.
Starting June 3, Belgium will also see additional ICE trains operated by Deutsche Bahn. From that date through the end of August, an extra train will run daily between Cologne and Brussels, continuing to Ghent, Bruges, and Ostend on weekends.
And starting September 7, two ICE trains per day will run in each direction between Cologne and Antwerp, with stops in Aachen, Liège, and Brussels Airport.
