From Newsgroup: uk.railway

Just to remind ourselves that any UK rail screw-ups can be beaten by DB:

Translated from:

https://www.spiegel.de/mobilitaet/bus-bahn/deutsche-bahn-drei-von-vier-zuege-zwischen-hamburg-und-berlin-haben-verspaetung-a-ab6779bd-ca30-4ca1-83b9-1b18a235fd5b

The railway line between Hamburg and Berlin underwent renovations for
almost a year. The initial assessment after the reopening is significantly worse than before the work began. Deutsche Bahn promises improvements.

Only a quarter of long-distance trains between Hamburg and Berlin arrived
on time recently. As Deutsche Bahn confirmed, only 25.8 percent of all long-distance trains on the newly renovated rail line were running without delays. This was first reported by the "Bild" newspaper. According to the report, the delays are due to ongoing finishing work on the
multi-billion-euro renovation project, which repeatedly slowed down trains.

According to reports, punctuality figures plummeted from an already poor starting point of 49.6 percent. The line had previously been completely
closed for ten months for repairs, with an investment of re42.7 billion.

Deutsche Bahn promises noticeable improvements

The approximately 280-kilometer-long line underwent a complete overhaul
from August 2025 to June 2026. During the renovation, 165 kilometers of
track and almost 250 switches were renewed, and 28 stations were
modernized. The total costs significantly exceeded the originally estimated
2.2 billion euros.

A spokesperson for Deutsche Bahn stated upon inquiry that software updates
in the Nauen and B|+chen signal boxes would bring noticeable improvements in the coming weeks. As previously announced, technical inspections and
software upgrades for high-speed operation are currently underway on
certain sections of the signal boxes.

Furthermore, remaining defects will be rectified and optimizations
implemented along the entire route that could only have been identified
during operation. This will require closures on certain nights in the
coming weeks, impacting train services.

rCorCorCo

Which links to:

ICE Berlin-Paris train cancelled for the time being

The railway company recently announced plans to further expand its international long-distance services. Now, a popular direct connection has
been suspended until further notice. Passengers traveling to Paris will
have to change trains more frequently.

Passengers traveling between Berlin and Paris on the ICE train will have to make additional changes in the near future. Deutsche Bahn has temporarily removed the direct connection from its timetable. "This is due to technical problems with the European train control system from Alstom," a railway spokesperson confirmed to AFP on Friday. Deutsche Bahn is urging Alstom to "resolve the issues immediately." The Tagesspiegel newspaper was the first
to report on the cancellation.

According to reports, the company informed passengers with bookings via
its DB Navigator app and by email that they now have to change trains in Frankfurt am Main or Mannheim . When service will resume is still unclear, according to the Tagesspiegel newspaper. Alstom stated that the company is working intensively to restore the connection "as quickly as possible."

The direct rail link was officially opened in December 2024 with a festive ceremony. The then Federal Minister of Transport, Volker Wissing
(independent), said it represented "friendship in action." The then CEO of Deutsche Bahn, Richard Lutz, described it as a "symbol" of the excellent Franco-German cooperation, which in turn formed the backbone of a united Europe.

According to the Tagesspiegel newspaper, the ICE Berlin-Paris train was recently around 80 percent booked on average. In addition to connections
with a change in Frankfurt am Main or Mannheim, travelers can also book the night trains operated by the Dutch-Belgian start-up European Sleeper, which connect both capital cities directly.

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