The German state-owned railway operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) paid EUR 156.1 million in compensation in 2025 to passengers affected by delays and cancellations, according to a report released by the company. The amount is lower than in 2024, when compensation reached nearly EUR 197 million, but remains nearly three times higher than the 2019 level.
Michael Peterson, a member of DB’s executive board responsible for long-distance services, stated that the decrease compared to the previous year is partly explained by the absence of exceptional disruptions, such as strikes. However, he emphasized that the level of compensation continues to represent “a significant financial burden” for the company.
In total, approximately 6.2 million compensation claims were filed in 2025, three times as many as in 2019, when Deutsche Bahn paid out EUR 52.6 million in compensation.
Long-distance train punctuality remains very poor
Punctuality issues continue to severely affect the German operator’s long-distance services. In February 2026, only 59.4% of long-distance trains arrived at stations along the route with delays of less than six minutes.
Furthermore, only 65.3% of long-distance train passengers reached their final destination with a delay of less than 15 minutes.
Under current rules, passengers are entitled to compensation of 25% of the ticket price in the event of a delay of at least 60 minutes and 50% if the delay exceeds 120 minutes.
Construction and disruptions are affecting the company’s results
According to Michael Peterson, the large number of construction sites and disruptions on the network is putting significant pressure on the operator’s operations. He explained that a line closure lasting several weeks can result in revenue losses in the millions or even tens of millions of EUR.
In addition, the long-distance transport division incurred nearly 300 million EUR in additional costs in 2025 for the use of railway infrastructure.
Peterson also said that the introduction of the Deutschlandticket reduced the number of long-distance passengers by approximately 15 million, and the occupancy rate of long-distance trains fell to 48%.
Growing losses for the Deutsche Bahn Group
According to reports in the international press, the Deutsche Bahn Group’s net losses are expected to deepen to approximately EUR 2.3 billion in 2025, compared to about EUR 1.8 billion in the previous year.
Sources cited by Reuters claim that persistent delays affecting ICE high-speed trains have forced the company to record an impairment charge of EUR 1.4 billion in its long-distance transport division.
Network modernization continues
Meanwhile, the German rail network is undergoing an extensive modernization program following decades of underinvestment. According to current plans, 40 heavily used lines are set to be modernized by 2036.
However, amid political changes in Berlin, some of the promises regarding the pace and scale of these investments have already been called into question.
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