If punctuality is a German virtue, Deutsche Bahn seems to be showing a lack of character. In 2018, one in four trains run by Germany's state-owned rail operator was late. And it is costing the company dearly.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Kalker
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The amount of compensation Germany's biggest rail operator paid for train delays increased from €34.6 million ($39.2 million) in 2017 to more than €53 million last year.
Some 2.7 million Deutsche Bahn (DB) passengers claimed compensation and received an average payout of nearly €20, a company spokesperson told the DPA news agency on Monday.
In 2017, just under 2 million passengers claimed compensation and received an average payout of €19.
Germany's main rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) has officially unveiled its new high-speed train, the ICE 4. It's expected to become the new workhorse of DB's passenger network when it enters service in December 2017.
Image: Deutsche Bahn/Foto: Detlev Wecke
King of the rails
DB boss Rüdiger Grube unveiled the new train in Berlin. The ICE is one of Germany's best-known brands. DB says surveys indicate 100 percent name recognition for its flagship high-speed rail service. The ICE accounts for only around 8-10 percent of sales, but it lends prestige to DB's brand.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. von Jutrczenka
The newest model
The public saw the ICE 4 (on the right) for the first time in Berlin last December. It stood alongside a current-generation ICE 3. The new model will enter testing this autumn. The ICE 4 ist just under 350 meters long and has 830 seats.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. von Jutrczenka
Roomy inside
DB could have easily fit 1,000 passengers on the train - but it decided to emphasize passenger comfort. It offers more legroom, space for luggage, and extra places for wheelchair users.
Image: Deutsche Bahn AG
Energy saver
Despite its high speed and capacity, the train is relatively quiet. Energy consumption per passenger is 22 percent lower than the first-generation ICE a quarter of a century ago. But its top speed is 250 kilometers per hour - 50 km/h less than the ICE 3 - as it's not intended for use on the very fastest routes.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Illustrious predecessor
The Trans Europ Express (TEE) network set the standard for express trains in Western Europe when it was set up in 1957. The exclusively first class service ran for 30 years. Shown here is the West German "Rheingold" TEE train.
Image: Getty Images/J.Macougall
Tourist attraction
This is how the "Rheingold" looked on the inside - this is the restaurant car. Tourists and rail fans alike can still experience this 1960s luxury today on nostalgia rail trips.
Image: Imago
Flying trains
Faced with competition from cars and planes, German railways in the 1930s increasingly used diesel trains instead of steam. The aerodynamically styled "flying trains" entered service in 1933 and drastically cut journey times. A new passenger service was formed that evolved into today's ICE network.
Image: Imago/Arkivi
Fast as lightning
The first tests of fast electric trains began in 1903. A Siemens railcar reached 210 kilometers per hour on a test track near Berlin. But development didn't begin in earnest until after World War I.
Image: Siemens AG
International competiton
France's TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) has been in operation since 1981. It holds numerous speed records, with the AGV version reaching a whopping 574 kilometers per hour in 2007. (In service, top speed is 320 km/h.) It's been an export hit, with TGV-based trains in Germany, Belgium, Britain, Switzerland and Italy.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/C. Sasso
From Beijing to Shanghai at 380 km/h
The fastest rail line in commercial service is in China - Between Beijing and Shanghai, trains reach 380 kilometers per hour. A Velaro Harmony CRH 380A trainset reached 486 km/h during testing in 2010.
Image: imago/UPI Photo
Number one with a bullet
Japan's Shinkansen, sometimes called the "bullet train," was the first modern high-speed train. It entered service in 1964, in time for the Tokyo Olympics, with a service speed of 210 kilometers per hour. Today's models are even faster, reaching 320 km/h.
Image: Reuters/Kyodo
No pressure
The Hyperloop is a California-designed concept for a high-speed train that could reach over 1,200 kilometers per hour. It would travel through specially built partial-vacuum tubes to reduce wind resistance. Air jets would lift it off the floor, eliminating wheel friction.
Image: Hyperloop Technologies
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EU wants changes
Any DB passenger who arrives at least an hour late can apply to receive a quarter of the train ticket in compensation. If they arrive more than two hours late, they can receive half of the ticket price.
State-owned DB is not the only train company that allows customers to apply for compensation according to the German system. But it pays out the lion's share of compensation each year because it operates nearly all intercity routes, which also tend to experience the most delays.
The European Parliament has called for changing the compensation system. Lawmakers say passengers should receive half of the ticket price after an hour's delay, three-quarters after a delay of 1 1/2 hours delay and the full ticket price if they arrive more than two hours late.
