German Transport Minister: Rail Situation Poses a "Threat to Democracy"
German Transport Minister Patrick Schneid criticized the state of the country's railway system and warned that the government faces the risk of losing public trust. "The situation is heading in a direction that threatens democracy."
Schneid believes that if people see the government unable to address issues like aging infrastructure and frequent train delays, it will undermine their confidence in national institutions.
Schneid stated that achieving a 70% on-time rate for trains by 2026 is a realistic goal.
In 2025, Germany's long-distance train punctuality rate was only about 60%.
He criticized previous management at Deutsche Bahn for more ambitious plans as "unrealistic." Internal assessments within Deutsche Bahn also do not expect rapid improvement, stating that infrastructure is already overloaded and severely outdated.
To partially alleviate these problems, Deutsche Bahn has launched three emergency initiatives focusing on station cleanliness and safety, passenger comfort, and timely information notifications during delays.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1860899387044880/
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