Punctuality
Punctuality
Punctuality is the most important quality indicator for the joint rail production structure. It is part of the BMV’s agenda as well as DB Group’s strategy and operational principles. The BMV’s “Agenda for Satisfied Rail Customers” provides for binding and clearly prioritized punctuality targets in order to achieve tangible reliability in rail transport within DB Group.
The Group principles on strategy represent binding guidelines for the formulation of Group, business unit and functional strategies. They identify the current poor operational quality as a risk to the implementation of transport and climate policy targets and the economic viability of DB Group and therefore aim to improve punctuality.
Punctuality is the primary objective of the “Train Running Regulations,” which are essential for rail operations, and the “Operations control centers for the scheduling of train operations in the event of sudden incidents” guideline. All employees involved in operations must first and foremost ensure the safety and then the punctuality of rail operations. This takes precedence over all other activities assigned to them. In the event of schedule deviations and the temporarily restricted usability of the track infrastructure, DB InfraGO’s operations control centers must make operational decisions in close cooperation with the rail traffic control centers of the TOCs in order to continue operations and ensure the best possible adherence to the schedule.
Development in the year under review
| Key non-financial performance indicators | 2024 | 2025 | Change | 2025 (Mar 2025 forecast) | 2025 (Jul 2025 forecast) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| absolute | % | |||||
| Operations | ||||||
| Punctuality (operational) DB Long-Distance (%) | 62.5 | 60.1 | ‒2.4 | – | 65 –70 | ≥65 |
| Punctuality DB Regional (rail) (%) | 90.7 | 89.2 | ‒1.5 | – | 90 –92 | ≥90 |
| Punctuality DB Cargo (Germany) (%) | 68.0 | 67.7 | –0.3 | – | 66.5 –71.5 | ≥66.5 |
| Construction impact (thousand trains/year) | 2,787 | 2,432 | –355 | –12.7 | 2,350 | 2,350 |
The collection of various punctuality metrics is described in the Strategy chapter and the DB Long-Distance business unit of the combined management report.
Measures
In 2025, the measures to improve punctuality were consolidated in the S3 restructuring program. There are five packages of measures to stabilize punctuality in 2026:
- Hub measures
- Line measures
- Long-distance vehicle quality
- “Sychronized construction”
- Corridor modernizations and maintenance
Outlook
| Anticipated development | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Punctuality (operational) DB Long-Distance (%) | 60.1 | 60 |
| Punctuality DB Regional (rail) (stop-weighted) (%) | 88.7 | ~ 89 |
| Punctuality DB Cargo (Germany) (%) | 67.7 | ~ 68 |
Quality:
- The aim for 2026 is to stabilize punctuality. Achieving the punctuality targets remains a major challenge due to the further planned increase in the construction volume and the existing capacity and obsolescence problems in the infrastructure. For this reason, quality measures will be further advanced and intensified, particularly with regard to structurally sustainable improvements.