An article by “Economic Times” shows how far the bad reputation of Deutsche Bahn has reached. A Scottish fan association is warning its compatriots about train delays in Germany during the European Football Championship.
Fan organizer: “Leave the pub a little faster”
The newspaper quotes Paul Paul Goodwin, co-founder of the Scottish Football Supporters Association. He gives his fellow supporters some advice: “Leave the pub a little quicker, give yourself a little more time.” Goodwin expects that around 40,000 Scottish fans will travel to Germany during the European Championship.
The fan organiser knows that many Scottish fans will be travelling by train. After all, the three group matches will be played in Berlin, Cologne and Stuttgart. That is why he reminds everyone: “The last thing you want is to arrive at half-time.” To prevent that, Goodwin has a very clear message: “Make sure you take the earlier train”.
CDU politician calls situation “really embarrassing”
Christoph Ploß, a CDU transport politician, is in contrast to the “Berlin Morning Post“ embarrassed by Goodwin’s statement. Speaking to the “Berliner Morgenpost” he called the situation “really embarrassing for our country”. Ploß assigns part of the blame to the traffic light coalition and calls for a paradigm shift in German politics.
Deutsche Bahn has already announced that it will provide 10,000 additional seats in IC and ICE trains during the European Championship games. Nevertheless, it warns of possible delays. “Get going earlier, drink less beer,” recommends Ralph-Peter Hänisch, the managing director of DB Security, in the newspaper. Hänisch is confident that the situation can be mastered.
Railway infrastructure in critical condition before European Championship
The tip to drink less beer could become particularly relevant in light of a report that was recently made public. A report by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Transport on Tuesday revealed the “dire” state of the toilet infrastructure in the railway network. The condition of the facilities is “unsatisfactory, as they are outdated and often not functional”.
The entire network and all its components are also suffering from a massive investment backlog. The status report from the railway subsidiary InfraGo attests that the network is in a satisfactory condition at best. The situation is worst at the signal boxes, where it received a grade of 5.