Switzerland's SBB to replace unreliable German trains on key rail route
Several times in the past years, the SBB had to take measures to mitigate the impact of chronically late Deutsche Bahn (DB) trains operating on the Swiss network.
In 2024, for instance,
only about 64 percent of DB's long-distance passenger trains reached their destination on time
; in Switzerland, the equivalent figure was 93.2 percent.
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That is why the SBB instituted a policy of
terminating DB trains
that arrive in Basel more than 20 minutes behind schedule and transferring passengers onto Swiss trains waiting at the border.
Among the chronically late arrivals are DB's EuroCity service from Hamburg to Interlaken Ost, as well as the train from Dortmund to Zurich — both of which are no longer allowed to operate within Switzerland.
And now there is one more 'problem' train
The DB's InterCity (IC) trains on the Stuttgart-Zurich route have also proven unreliable.
Therefore, starting on July 7th, the SBB and Deutsche Bahn are jointly running a replacement service on the Swiss section of the route, between Schaffhausen and Zurich.
This train will be used if the incoming IC from Stuttgart is significantly delayed.
These replacement trains will be driven by locomotive crews from both Switzerland and Germany.
Over the next few weeks, the SBB and DB will monitor the situation and decide whether these measures are sufficient to guarantee punctuality.
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DW
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- DW
Deutsche Bahn is on track for more delays and cancellations – DW – 07/17/2025
Once famed for never being late, German trains almost never run on time anymore. Deutsche Bahn has launched a refurbishment program that is likely to last at least a decade, and the costs and criticism are increasing. In Germany, where the trains were said to never run late, a route is now considered punctual if it is delayed by less than six minutes. Since 2022, only 62% of trains run right on schedule, compared with close to 99% in neighboring Switzerland. Much longer delays are commonplace, and trips are as likely to be canceled completely as they are to end prematurely. The frequent problems are exacerbated by strikes and weather conditions. If is particularly hot or cold, travelers are likely to encounter more problems. Train travel in Germany often requires time, patience and nerves of steel. In 2024, Deutsche Bahn (DB) paid passengers almost €200 million ($232 million) in compensation, nearly €70 million more than the previous year. "Deutsche Bahn is undergoing its biggest crisis in 30 years," DB CEO Richard Lutz said in May 2025. He has tried in vain to get the company back on track since becoming chairman of the management board in 2017. "We are a long way from what we set out to do and what our customers expect from us, in key areas." The run-down DB network covers about 33,500 kilometers (19,800 miles) of track. As a state-owned company, DB is dependent on subsidies from the federal government, which for decades has invested far too little in infrastructure. "We cannot ensure stable operations on an outdated infrastructure that is prone to failure," Lutz said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Some of Germany's tracks, rails, switches and signal boxes date to the 19th century. Many of them are so run down that they cannot be repaired or so outdated that they are not compatible with digitally controlled rail operations that are supposed to become the standard. DB's general refurbishment program, which was launched in 2024, focuses on 41 lines, covering 4,200 kilometers, that are essential for a high-performance network. It is the largest overhaulin DB's history to date. The 70-kilometer stretch between Frankfurt am Main and Mannheim, known as the Riedbahn, was the first to be shut down. Over six months, rails and ballast, 152 switches and 140 kilometers of overhead line were torn out and reinstalled. Twenty stations, signaling technology and noise barriers were also renovated. It turned out to be more complicated than expected to install digital technology and the costs rose to more than €1.5 billion — twice as much as originally estimated. 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Local Germany
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'Daily struggle': Deutsche Bahn's train punctuality continues to fall
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DW
08-07-2025
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Why US chocolate tastes weird to the rest of the world
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