Development in the year under review
- GDL strikes, high construction-related infrastructure restrictions and the flooding in southern Germany had a noticeable impact on the development.
- Punctuality mainly driven by infrastructure capacity bottlenecks due to disruptions below the previous year’s weak level.
- Continued high capital expenditures for the modernization of the vehicle fleet.
- Operating profit performance remains under very high pressure. Declines in revenues were only partially offset by countermeasures.
| DB Long-Distance | 2024 | 2023 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| absolute | % | |||
| Punctuality (%) | 62.5 | 64.0 | –1.5 | – |
| Punctuality (whole journey) (%) | 67.4 | 68.9 | –1.5 | – |
| Customer satisfaction (grade) | 2.7 | 2.7 | – | – |
| BahnCards (thousand) | 4,687 | 5,019 | –332 | –6.6 |
| Passengers (million) | 133.4 | 140.3 | –6.9 | –4.9 |
| Volume sold (million pkm) | 44,106 | 45,459 | –1,353 | –3.0 |
| Volume produced (million train-path km) | 160.1 | 157.7 | +2.4 | +1.5 |
| Load factor (%) | 47.0 | 49.1 | –2.1 | – |
| Total revenues (€ million) | 5,847 | 5,896 | –49 | –0.8 |
| External revenues (€ million) | 5,674 | 5,729 | –55 | –1.0 |
| EBITDA adjusted (€ million) | 502 | 483 | +19 | +3.9 |
| EBIT adjusted (€ million) | –96 | –43 | –53 | +123 |
| Gross capital expenditures (€ million) | 764 | 1,657 | –893 | –53.9 |
| Employees as of Dec 31 (FTE) | 21,236 | 20,966 | +270 | +1.3 |
| Employees annual average (FTE) | 21,388 | 20,394 | +994 | +4.9 |
| Employee satisfaction (SI) | 3.5 | – | – | – |
| Share of women as of Dec 31 (%) | 27.0 | 27.2 | –0.2 | – |
| Absolute greenhouse gas emissions Scope 1 and 2 compared to 2019 (% ) | –41.0 | –30.2 | –10.8 | – |
In 2024, punctuality at DB Long-Distance declined. This was due to the poor state of the infrastructure and unstable schedule processes. In addition, disruptions in traffic junctions and on heavily used track sections have a strong congestion effect and have a negative impact on punctuality across the entire rail network. The replacement of damaged concrete sleepers and the associated creation of slow-speed sections also remain a challenge for the quality of operation. On the other hand, the reduction in vehicle failures and higher vehicle availability had a positive effect. In line with punctuality, the punctuality (whole journey) also developed worse than expected.
Customer satisfaction has remained stable despite the operating conditions. In addition to the difficult start to the year due to strikes, the main negative impact factors included, in particular, the many construction sites during the year and severe weather events such as the flooding in June, which had a negative impact on punctuality. Employees and travel comfort (e.g. new design and seats of the ICE 3neo) continued to be rated positively and with an upward trend.
The number of BahnCards declined in all discount levels and across all target groups. The reasons for this included the Germany-Ticket and the poor quality of service.
The performance trend was differentiated in 2024.
- Number of passengers and volume sold: Noticeable decline mainly due to the strikes by the GDL, the construction-related restrictions in the infrastructure, in particular as a result of the modernization of the Riedbahn and the poor operational quality.
- Volume produced: Slight increase due to expansion of services, partly offset by the GDL strikes and service adjustments as a result of construction measures.
- Load factor: Decrease due to the lower number of passengers with a simultaneous increase in volume produced.
Economic development remains challenging and has deteriorated significantly, particularly due to the difficult operating situation. Lower revenues due to strikes and due to construction work as well as an overall increase in expenses led to a noticeable decline in adjusted EBIT.
Overall, income was at the previous year’s level:
- Revenues (–0.8%/€ –49 million): Development was significantly influenced by the GDL strikes, extension of travel times due to the construction work on the Rauheberg Tunnel and the general modernization of the Riedbahn. Poor operational punctuality also had a significant impact on demand. Performance-related declines were almost completely offset by price effects.
- Other operating income (+13.3%/€ +66 million): Increase largely due to higher income from compensation payments, from vehicle rentals/sales and from commissions as a result of the transfer of DB Sales activities in April 2023. The loss of income from Government grants (train-path price support from the Federal Government for partial compensation of damages in conjunction with the Covid-19 pandemic) had a negative impact.
By contrast, expenses rose noticeably, largely as a result of increases in personnel expenses and higher depreciation due to capital expenditures.
- Personnel expenses (+6.9%/€ +100 million): The significant increase was mainly due to a higher number of employees and collective bargaining effects.
- Depreciation (+13.7%/€ +72 million): Increase mainly resulting from the expansion of the high-speed and Intercity 2 fleet.
Thanks to the profit safeguarding program initiated at the beginning of the year, expenses remained constant or were even reduced in many areas despite the expansion of services and the fleet. Significant effects were attributable to the cost of materials and other operating expenses:
- Cost of materials (–2.5%/€ –86 million): The decline resulted, inter alia, from price-related lower energy expenses, lower commission payments due to the transfer of activities from DB Sales and strict cost management. Efficiency measures in vehicle cleaning also contributed to the reduction. This was contrasted above all as a result of price- and volume-related higher expenses for the use of train-paths and stations as well as maintenance.
- Other operating expenses (–2.3%/€ –23 million): The decline was caused by the measures implemented to safeguard profits, which inter alia led to savings in product measures, marketing and travel and hospitality costs. This also more than counteracted the higher expenses for IT, passenger support and losses from the disposal of assets.
Capital expenditures fell, inter alia, as a result of the end of the delivery of ICE 4 trains as well as the delayed arrival of ICE 3neo trains and the reluctance to launch new capital expenditures projects.
The number of employees increased as of December 31, 2024, largely as a result of the implementation of measures to improve quality. Taking over employees from DB Sales also had the effect of increasing the average number of employees.
The proportion of women was slightly below the level at the end of the previous year.
The further decrease in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions compared to 2019 was largely due to lower diesel consumption and greater use of HVO. The green electricity used in the electrified long-distance trains does not cause any greenhouse gas emissions during operation.