“One hour more”: Now the gas crisis is also threatening train delays
Created: 08/19/2022 15:23
By: Christian Einfeldt
In view of the gas crisis, the federal government is planning to give certain trains priority over passenger traffic.
That could end in train chaos.
Hamburg – Deutsche Bahn is delayed – customers know this scenario.
According to current information from dw.com, just 40 percent of all long-distance trains are on time.
Delays of up to six minutes are not included.
And so passengers are already aware before they start the train journey that waiting times are to be expected, especially on longer journeys.
It still gets on your nerves - especially when more minutes seem to be added incessantly.
That could be the case from autumn.
Then when the gas crisis could become a reality.
The energy supply has top priority.
Robert Habeck, Federal Environment Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, recently said that nobody should freeze during the cold months.
To do this, the energy supply must continue to be maintained.
The current plan of the federal government: priority for energy freight trains on Germany's tracks - travelers on Deutsche Bahn would have to expect further waiting times.
railway company: | Deutsche Bahn |
CEO: | Richard Lutz (March 22, 2017–) |
Sales volume: | EUR 44.43 billion (2019) |
Headquarters: | Berlin |
Gas crisis: Deutsche Bahn passenger services have to wait – “an hour more travel time is possible”
Hamburg recently announced its 25-point plan.
The Hanseatic city saves money and thus fights against the gas shortage.
At the same time, everyday life on Germany's tracks is all about the daily political debate.
A special focus will be placed on the transport of coal, oil and gas.
Industry and coal-fired power plants depend on the reliable supply of energy fuels.
In the course of this, passenger transport by Deutsche Bahn has to wait – at least that’s what the federal government is now considering.
"The aim is to ensure the operation of power plants, refineries, power grids and other vital operations," said the Ministry of Economics and Transport.
Karl-Peter Naumann, spokesman for the Pro Bahn passenger association for Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, explained to NDR what that could mean for northern German railway operations.
The coal train travels at a maximum speed of 100 km/h, an ICE up to 300 km/h.
“An ICE is driving behind this one.
Then he will have to slow down."
How much waiting time and thus delay would that mean for DB passengers?
"An hour more travel time is definitely possible," says Naumann.
Train delays due to the impending gas crisis: Energy freight trains should have priority from autumn.
(Iconic image) © Wolfgang Maria Weber/Imago and Manfred Segerer/Imago
Right of way for energy freight trains due to the gas crisis: Deutsche Bahn criticizes the federal government's plan
According to NDR reports, the routes between Hamburg and Lower Saxony would be particularly affected.
Namely: Hamburg-Hanover, Hamburg-Lüneburg or Hamburg-Bremen.
A particularly large number of energy transport trains would be on the move here – but soon there will be many more.
A Hamburg railway spokeswoman recently confirmed this to the Norddeutscher Rundfunk.
As reported by dw.com, the federal government plans to give priority to freight transport for a period of around six months.
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During this time, Deutsche Bahn wants to avoid chaos at all costs.
Last but not least, the 9-euro ticket, the potential successor of which is still being discussed, and the massive overload have revealed the weaknesses of the Berlin railway company.
"In the last three decades we have slept on the expansion and even criminally dismantled infrastructure," says Detlef Neuß, chairman of the Pro Bahn passenger association.
In a statement to the German Press Agency (dpa), he also says that "even more delays are driving people off the trains back into the car" - "exactly what we don't want."
