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Being punctual is considered synonymous with being German<\/a>. Yet, Germany\u2019s connective tissue\u2014its national railway system, Deutsche Bahn (BD)\u2014struggles with it.\u00a0<\/p>\n The country of 84 million has been on football lovers\u2019 radars this summer thanks to the Euro 2024 championship, which sold about 2.7<\/a> million tickets across 10 German cities.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n What could\u2019ve been an opportunity to show off the best of summer tourism for Germany turned into a logistical nightmare\u2014and the railways are right at the heart of it. Visitors coming to watch football matches, drink beer and enjoy Bavarian food have been met with incessant delays from the train network which is supposed to connect<\/a> different parts of the country.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fans have lambasted the infrequent trains<\/a> for ruining their Euros experience. For some long-time enthusiasts, the delays have conjured fond memories of when Germany last played host 18 years ago<\/a>\u2014at a time when its trains still ran smoothly. Others involved in the Euros, such as Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman, criticized the railway system and the host country for not doing a good enough job managing the games.\u00a0<\/p>\n The train schedules have fallen off the wagon so much that a board member of DB had to apologize to Euro fans for not offering \u201cthe quality that everyone deserves,\u201d according to local newspaper Bild<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n The railway disarray adds to a string of other events that have thrown the Euros\u2014and Germany itself\u2014into chaos. Earlier this week, UEFA, one of the championship\u2019s organizers, fined Germany for not doing enough to deter fans<\/a> from invading football pitches during the tournament to take selfies with players.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWith all this travel chaos, the railways have become a national embarrassment,\u201d Ulrich Lange, transport spokesman for the opposition Christian Democrats, told the Financial Times<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n DB\u2019s shortfall has felt especially stark, given that it is one of the Euro 2024 sponsors and is crucial to the tournament\u2019s smooth running. The national railway group also planned to make this year a more sustainable effort<\/a> by offering discounted prices for fans traveling with climate-friendly tickets.\u00a0<\/p>\n But it wouldn\u2019t be much different from a month before the Euros kicked off when staggeringly just 63% of DB\u2019s trains reached their destinations on time, the New York Times<\/em><\/a> reported. In November, DB reported its worst punctuality figures (52%<\/a>) in about a decade across all train journeys.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Euros may have shed light on the railway system crippling Germany, but its problems have persisted\u2014and been exacerbated\u2014for years. Chronic underinvestment combined with a surge in demand for rail services has put DB under immense pressure to up its game.<\/p>\n For its part, DB announced<\/a> cost-cutting efforts earlier this year amid staff strikes to eliminate unprofitable routes, slash its debt pile, and pump more money into upgrading its infrastructure.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The German government announced plans to overhaul the train network by 2030, which could eventually address some of DB\u2019s roadblocks. But, in the lead-up, there could still be severe disruptions to public transport (and to German punctuality<\/a>). Some of Germany\u2019s busiest lines could be closed while repair work is underway, pointing to more trouble ahead.\u00a0<\/p>\n DB has many obstacles to clear to get back on track. While it might still take years to fix fully, a well-functioning national railway system is in everyone\u2019s interest.\u00a0<\/p>\n Representatives at DB didn\u2019t immediately return Fortune<\/em>\u2019s request for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\nThe train wreck of a railway system<\/h2>\n
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