Bavaria protests Deutsche Bahn rail disruptions and delays

Bavarian Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter has issued a formal complaint to Deutsche Bahn regarding the deteriorating state of the regional rail network. In a letter to infrastructure head Philipp Nagl, Bernreiter described the situation as a “burden” for passengers and companies, noting that slow zones in the state have increased from 100 to approximately 120 in the last six months.

The minister highlighted that 45 regional lines can no longer follow regular schedules due to track closures and maintenance issues. He criticized DB InfraGO AG for failing to manage these disruptions despite Bavaria paying over 900 million euros annually in track access charges. Bernreiter demanded a concrete master plan to reduce slow zones and ensure that regional traffic is not neglected in favor of high-performance corridors.

In a separate incident, the Bayreuth public prosecutor's office has filed charges against a 65-year-old train driver following a collision at Bayreuth main station on March 11, 2026. The driver is accused of intentional dangerous interference with rail traffic and five counts of negligent bodily harm after allegedly ignoring signals and safety measures, resulting in injuries to five passengers and significant property damage.