Deutsche Bahn passenger numbers in Germany 2005-2023

Deutsche Bahn has received considerable press coverage recently due to its infrastructural problems. Additionally, Germany’s main railway company was faced with several driver strikes during 2023 and 2024. While passenger numbers have been picking up since the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, the strikes certainly contributed to still lower figures compared to the increasing trend of pre-pandemic years.

Thank you for traveling with Deutsche Bahn

Passengers are generally eager about taking the train within Germany and beyond due to the many connections Deutsche Bahn offers between locations. Other reasons include that there are no restrictions on the contents of hand luggage during train travel and sometimes train tickets are cheaper than flying. Data on Deutsche Bahn train punctuality shows that thus far in 2024, around 90 percent of trains arrived with a delay of maximum roughly six minutes, which is considered punctual. This comes after a tough 2023, with noticeably more trains arriving with a delay of up to around 16 minutes.

All aboard?

Following the disputes between the Deutsche Bahn and a train drivers' union (GDL in German), an agreement has been reached. Strikes are therefore a thing of the past, though the future of German passenger rail remains to be seen. A technical and mechanical overhaul of the entire railway industry is still necessary, which means determining financing and government regulations, as well as dealing with labor shortages in various corresponding fields. However, this is also a challenge facing the entire rail passenger transport industry in Europe.