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Deutsche Bahn: Minister to tie executive bonuses to punctuality targets
German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger has announced plans to tie Deutsche Bahn executive bonuses directly to punctuality targets. This move comes in response to a chronic punctuality crisis, with long-distance train punctuality averaging only 60 percent in the first half of 2026.
The proposed changes will be integrated into a new financing agreement between the federal government and the state-owned rail operator. Under this agreement, billions of euros in infrastructure funding will be linked to specific performance requirements. Bilger noted that while a 70 percent punctuality target for long-distance travel is set through 2029, achieving 100 percent is not foreseeable in the near future.
Recent data highlights the severity of the issue, particularly on the Hamburg-Berlin route, where punctuality dropped to 25.8 percent between mid-June and mid-July 2026 following a 2.7 billion euro renovation. The renovation costs exceeded the original 2.2 billion euro estimate.
While the plan has received cross-party support from the SPD and the Greens, the passenger association Pro Bahn has urged the minister to implement stricter definitions of punctuality. They recommend counting delays starting from three minutes rather than six and including cancelled trains in the statistics to prevent management from bypassing targets.
Entities
Deutsche Bahn · Evelyn Palla · Germany · Hamburg-Berlin · Hamburg-Berlin railway · Karl-Peter Naumann · Pro Bahn · Steffen Bilger
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The German government is preparing a new financing agreement with Deutsche Bahn. www.oldenburger-onlinezeitung.de
- [● 11 SOURCES] A punctuality target of 70 percent for long-distance travel has been set through 2029. www.oldenburger-onlinezeitung.de · mix929.com · www.t-online.de · wochentlich.de · www.mdr.de · +2 more
- [● 11 SOURCES] The Minister stated that 100 percent punctuality is not foreseeable. www.oldenburger-onlinezeitung.de · mix929.com · www.t-online.de · wochentlich.de · www.mdr.de · +2 more
- [● 20 SOURCES] Future funding for rail infrastructure will be linked to specific performance requirements. www.oldenburger-onlinezeitung.de · www.vol.at · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · mix929.com · www.t-online.de · +9 more
- [● 22 SOURCES] Bonus payments for Deutsche Bahn managers will be tied to meeting federal punctuality targets. www.oldenburger-onlinezeitung.de · www.vol.at · www.allgaeuer-zeitung.de · mix929.com · www.t-online.de · +12 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] The renovation of the Hamburg-Berlin track cost 2.7 billion euros, exceeding the original estimate of 2.2 billion euros. www.vol.at · www.t-online.de · wochentlich.de · www.fehmarn24.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Only 25.8 percent of long-distance trains were punctual on the Hamburg-Berlin route between mid-June and mid-July 2026. www.vol.at · www.t-online.de · wochentlich.de · www.fehmarn24.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Long-distance train punctuality was approximately 60 percent in the first half of 2026. www.t-online.de · www.mdr.de · www.fehmarn24.de · www.thueringer-allgemeine.de
- [● 3 SOURCES] The passenger association Pro Bahn recommends counting delays from three minutes instead of six and including cancelled trains in punctuality statistics. radioosnabrueck.de · www.nachrichten-heute.net · www.leinetal24.de