"In mid-December, Evelyn Palla, the newly appointed chief executive of Deutsche Bahn (DB), unveiled a sweeping restructuring plan for Germany's state-owned rail operator, set to take effect in 2026. After receiving approval from DB's supervisory board on December 10, Palla said the company would eliminate around 30% of its executive positions as part of an effort to streamline management, decentralize decision-making, and improve punctuality and efficiency by making the organization more agile."
"The overhaul comes at a low point for Deutsche Bahn's performance. This autumn, punctuality fell to a new record low, with just 55% of long-distance trains arriving less than six minutes late — the company's official definition of "on time." Punctuality has been deteriorating for years, turning DB into one of Europe's weakest performers. For commuters, delays and cancellations have become a daily experience, particularly in densely populated regions, where passengers now consider themselves fortunate if every second train arrives on schedule."
"The crisis took on an international dimension in the summer of 2024, when Switzerland barred Deutsche Bahn trains from its rail network, citing concerns that chronic delays would disrupt Swiss timetables. The decision exposed, in stark terms, Germany's decadeslong failure to invest adequately in its rail system and halt the deterioration of its transport infrastructure. According to the German transport ministry, roughly half of the country's rail tracks are in mediocre, poor, or deficient condition."
Evelyn Palla, newly appointed chief executive of Deutsche Bahn, unveiled a restructuring plan to take effect in 2026 after supervisory board approval on December 10. The plan will eliminate around 30% of executive positions to streamline management, decentralize decision-making, and increase agility aimed at improving punctuality and efficiency. Punctuality has fallen for years; this autumn only 55% of long-distance trains met the company's on-time standard of arriving within six minutes. Switzerland barred Deutsche Bahn trains in summer 2024 over chronic delays, exposing decades of underinvestment. Roughly half of Germany's rail tracks are in mediocre to deficient condition; about one-fifth need replacement.
Read at www.dw.com
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