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Quality
The customer is at the center of our actions
High product quality is one of the most important prerequisites for implementing our Strong Rail strategy. The greatest levers for improving product quality include high levels of punctuality, the use of modern vehicles, reliable and comprehensive customer and transport information, the quality and reliability of the services offered and appropriate transport and transport times. That is why we continually invest in our fleet and infrastructure, and optimize cooperation with our suppliers and sector partners. We are also intensively exploiting the opportunities offered by digitalization.
Improving punctuality is particularly important as it is the key factor influencing customer satisfaction and therefore makes a positive contribution to meeting our customer needs, even in the context of increasing mobility needs.
Only if trains and buses operate sustainably with a high degree of punctuality will passengers use rail transport for their private and work-related journeys in the long term, thereby guaranteeing the success of society’s shift in the mode of transport. Punctuality is also the key factor in the stability of production systems. In the long-distance and freight transport sectors especially, delays lead to impaired vehicle and personnel cycles, which in turn have a negative effect on maintenance delivery. This ties up the capacity and resources that are urgently needed for the desired growth in traffic in both passenger and freight transport. From an economic point of view, a high level of punctuality also minimizes the risk of penalty payments in contracted local passenger transport as well as compensation via passenger rights in long-distance passenger transport.
The importance of punctuality is also demonstrated by the fact that it is a determining factor in the amount of the variable remuneration received by executives.
Development in the year under review
Punctuality / % | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
DB Group (rail) in Germany | 90.9 | 93.7 | 95.1 |
DB rail passenger transport in Germany | 91.0 | 93.8 | 95.2 |
DB Long-Distance | 65.2 | 75.2 | 81.8 |
DB Regional | 91.8 | 94.3 | 95.6 |
DB Cargo (Germany) | 66.1 | 69.8 | 77.6 |
DB Arriva (rail: United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic) 1) | 90.2 | 93.5 | 92.3 |
DB Regional (bus) | 86.0 | 83.9 | 83.4 |
DB Cargo | 66.3 | 69.5 | 76.9 |
To measure punctuality, we compare the target arrival time to the actual arrival time for every train/bus run. We summarize the arrival of trains/buses on schedule or up to a defined maximum
delay using a punctuality rate.
1) From July 2022, excluding activities sold by DB Arriva in Sweden.
In Germany, punctuality in rail transport decreased significantly. The reasons for this development were:
- High level of primary disruptions
- High level of construction activity
- Highly utilized rail tracks
- Special external events
- 9-Euro-Ticket
- Tense personnel situation
- Impaired operating processes
Customer satisfaction / SI | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
DB Long-Distance | 74.8 | 77.8 | 80.2 |
DB Regional (rail) | 70.1 | 71.6 | 69.0 |
DB Regional (bus) | 74 | 75 | 71 |
DB Cargo | 67 | 70 | 68 |
DB Netze Stations (passengers/visitors) | 71 | 73 | 72 |
DB Arriva (bus and rail, United Kingdom) | 73 | 77 | 80 |
DB Schenker | 70 | 68 | 74 |
One of DB Group’s top goals is to achieve a consistently high level of customer satisfaction. In passenger transport, in addition to the development of operational key indicators such as punctuality and capacity utilization, ticket purchase, offering, space availability, comfort and providing information, play an important role.
Regular evaluation of customer satisfaction is hugely important. The results of the entire travel experience are discussed in regular performance dialogs and efficient management of customer satisfaction is ensured. The data is gathered in each case by independent market research institutes. The aim is to conduct a direct survey after the end of the trip in order to better assess the relationships between buying decisions and repeat use. The identified drivers of satisfaction are ranked against each other. Details on development in the individual business units can be found in the chapter Development of business units.
Significant measures for improvement
In 2022, DB Group again implemented a number of measures to improve and/or stabilize the operating quality. However, negative structural effects (high construction activity on highly utilized rail lines with old and fault-prone infrastructure) overpowered their effects. For this reason, measures are being developed and implemented that strongly intervene in the current structures and contribute to a sustainable increase in quality through paradigm shifts.
Outlook: Top Targets Strong Rail
Anticipated development | 2022 | 2023 |
Punctuality DB Long-Distance (%) | 65.2 | >70 |
Punctuality DB Regional (rail) (%) | 91.8 | >92 |
Punctuality DB Cargo (Germany) (%) | 66.1 | >67 |
Punctuality is expected to improve in 2023. In order to achieve these goals, quality-related measures will be further promoted and intensified, particularly with regard to structurally sustainable improvements, with a focus on infrastructure. However, achieving punctuality targets is a major challenge due to the further increase in volume of transport and capacity and aging problems in infrastructure.
Anticipated development | 2022 | 2023 |
Customer satisfaction DB Long-Distance (SI) | 74.8 | ~ 77 |
Customer satisfaction DB Regional (rail) (SI) | 70.1 | ~ 70 |
Customer satisfaction DB Cargo (SI) | 67 | ~ 61 |
Following the significant deterioration in customer satisfaction due to operational quality in 2022, a consistent level is expected for 2023. The background to this is the continuing challenges in relation to operating quality. At DB Cargo, we expect the customer satisfaction score to be significantly lower at the next measurement in March 2023 due to the significant drop in punctuality in 2022.
Focus on digitalization and technology
Our digital and technical strategy is designed to develop an ultra-smart mobility network by 2030 – connected, automated and customer-oriented. In the future, travel should essentially “plan itself” and adapt to changing circumstances in real time in the event of deviations. To this end, our digitalization processes must be understood and designed as an intelligent overall system – a long-term development, with three core tasks under the Strong Rail strategy:
- fully connected,
- self-organized development, and
- making it easier for customers to use mobility services.
