Germany’s state-run rail operator Deutsche Bahn is hoping its shiny new ICE3neo trains will help it climb out of its mire of delays and breakdowns, which have led to delays so bad that Swiss rail officials want to bar German trains from their lines.
The new high-speed trains, ten of which have been running since December, are capable of 320 km/h and so far have shown signs of reliability with lower breakdown rates for airconditioning and other issues than older trains. DB has ordered 90 more trainsets from Siemens at a cost of €3 billion; 30 more will arrive this year, with the rest later.
However, while passenger groups and DB board members are pleased with the new rolling stock, there are still major infrastructure issues, with numerous delays blamed on construction and on dilapidated track conditions, as well as staff shortages. In June, only 63.5% of DB’s long-distance trains arrived within six minutes of their schedules.
