Deutsche Bahn denies press reports that claim the company plans to cancel long-distance trains.
Regarding the current reporting by the news magazine “Der Spiegel” on alleged reductions in DB’s long-distance services, DB long-distance passenger transport board member Dr. Michael Peterson stated that there are no „concrete plans” to cancel trains.
“There are currently no concrete plans to cancel the long-distance services mentioned. We completed our planning for the 2025 timetable in April. This timetable does not currently provide for any of the service cuts mentioned,” Peterson said in a statement.
However, Peterson does not deny the fact that the company faces challenges with its long-distance offerings, be it passenger or freight transport. The rise of costs in track access charges may lead to more expensive tickets and fewer connections.
“But it is also true that track access charges are a significant cost component in long-distance rail passenger transport. The drastic increase in track access charges currently on the table presents DB Fernverkehr AG, like many other self-financing transport companies in long-distance and freight transport, with considerable challenges. Depending on the level of the additional burden, we are forced to review the scope of our timetable offering nationwide.”
A confidential memo sent to the Federal Network Agency, which was shared by Der Spiegel claims that numerous cities, especially in East Germany, are going to lose their long-distance trains.
Long-distance trains that may be affected
Cities expected to be hit hard are said to include those in Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The following lines might no longer have long-distance trains:
- Karlsruhe – Stuttgart – Aalen – Crailsheim – Nuremberg – Leipzig through the Saale Valley (Intercity Line 61)
- Gera – Weimar – Erfurt – Gotha – Kassel – Dortmund – Cologne (Intercity Line 51)
- Norddeich Mole – Munster – Dortmund – Siegen – Frankfurt (Intercity Line 34)
Additionally, according to “Spiegel”, the service to Stralsund on the Baltic Sea by ICE trains might be drastically reduced during the off-season. The affected Intercitys and ICEs are among the least busy trains operated by DB.
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