In June, the punctuality of long-distance Deutsche Bahn trains was only 63.5 percent. picture alliance/dpa | Jorg Carstensen
In view of the high delays in rail traffic, Germans can only look at Switzerland with envy. There, the punctuality of the trains is over 90 percent.
Peter Füglistaler, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Transport, gave an insight into the measures that the neighboring country is using to make its trains faster in the “Frankfurter Allgemeine”.
The railway expert hinted that Germany had saved too much on the rails in recent years – and was optimistic.
When an ICE train is delayed again, many rail passengers in Germany think longingly of Switzerland. Because the trains in the neighboring country are more than 90 percent on time, while Deutsche Bahn (DB) recently had a devastating rate of 63.5 percent in long-distance traffic. In fact, the Swiss railway consistently stops slow trains from Germany at the border station in Basel so as not to jeopardize their own timetables.
“We are forced to do this,” said Peter Füglistaler, Director of the Swiss Federal Office of Transport, now the “Frankfurt general“. Half of the international trains from Germany are delayed in Basel. This begs the question: what makes Switzerland so much better in terms of rail transport? “It’s like in a factory: In order to manufacture a good product called Bahn, you need good planning, established processes and enough resources,” said Füglistaler.
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“Sufficient resources” – that means above all: money. Deutsche Bahn expects gross investments of 18 billion euros this year. On the other hand, 36 billion euros would have to flow into the grid every year in order to reach the level of smaller Switzerland, calculates the FAZ. It is also “a lot about the money,” said Füglistaler. “That defines the maximum quality that can be achieved.” However, the funds must also be used “as efficiently as possible”, according to the Swiss.
The Swiss revealed “many small measures” which, in addition to major investments, ensure that the trains of the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) are more punctual. Delayed trains are stopped in front of the terminus, thanks to fast connections, without the passengers complaining too much. This is easier in Switzerland because the routes are shorter than in German long-distance traffic. “That allows us to be more flexible,” says Füglistaler. “In Germany, on the other hand, the trains run all over the country and, if in doubt, are delayed for hours.”
Some of the lesser-known advantages of Swiss railways include wider doors for quick disembarkation, closer spacing of en route signals – and the absence of high-speed trains like the ICE. “We also don’t have high-speed trains like the ICE and therefore not such big speed differences on the routes, traffic flows more smoothly,” said the railway expert.
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Füglistaler let it be known that Germany has apparently saved its railway in recent years. “If you invest too little, as the Germans have done for a long time, you will not notice any negative consequences for years,” he said. “If you then feel it, as is currently the case in Germany, it will be too late.” Füglistaler expects “initial progress” in two or three years.
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