DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
German news & articles
Deutsche Bahn says track theft delayed 3.200 trains in 2023
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Deutsche Bahn says track theft delayed 3.200 trains in 2023

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

Haushalt 2025: How will Germany’s new budget impact our lives?Haushalt 2025: How will Germany’s new budget impact our lives?
May 2025: 7 changes affecting expats in GermanyMay 2025: 7 changes affecting expats in Germany
How many DB trains were late in the first half of 2025?How many DB trains were late in the first half of 2025?
Referendum to ban cars in central Berlin can go aheadReferendum to ban cars in central Berlin can go ahead
Private rooms on new German night trains will be cheaper than flyingPrivate rooms on new German night trains will be cheaper than flying
CDU conference will determine future of the DeutschlandticketCDU conference will determine future of the Deutschlandticket
Berlin-Hamburg train route to close fully for nine monthsBerlin-Hamburg train route to close fully for nine months
 FlixTrain to add 65 more high-speed trains to European fleet FlixTrain to add 65 more high-speed trains to European fleet
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usImpressumSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Feb 15, 2024
Olivia Logan

Editor at IamExpat Media

Editor for Germany at IamExpat Media. Olivia first came to Germany in 2013 to work as an Au Pair. Since studying English Literature and German in Scotland, Freiburg and Berlin she has worked as a features journalist and news editor.Read more

Across Germany, there were 450 cases of metal theft from train tracks last year. Deutsche Bahn has said that the thefts were responsible for delaying 3.200 trains in 2023.

Deutsche Bahn blames train delays on metal theft

Deutsche Bahn has said that cases of metal theft resulted in 3.200 trains being delayed across Germany in 2023. According to the nationwide rail provider, 450 cases of metal theft delayed these 3.200 trains by a collective 40.000 minutes.

Speaking to the dpa, a spokesperson from Deutsche Bahn said, “Where possible, alternative materials will be used, and existing facilities and construction sites will be protected and better guarded." A combination of the increased value of scrap metal and rising costs across the country in 2023 means that such thefts may have become more inviting for potential thieves.

In response, Deutsche Bahn has said that it is working closely with the German police and that many thieves are already caught after they steal the materials. However, they admitted that it is not possible to monitor all 34.000 kilometres of track.

Metal theft incidents have fallen by 90 percent since 2013

In comparison to 2022, these 450 cases amount to a slight increase in metal theft from the network’s tracks, but while Deutsche Bahn highlighted how the thefts were responsible for thousands of delays, a longer-term comparison reveals that metal theft from train tracks has decreased by 90 percent since 2013.

Overall, 2023 proved to be yet another year of poor punctuality performance at Deutsche Bahn: just 64 percent of long-distance trains run by the company reached their destination on time, meaning that they were on time or less than six minutes late to arrive. 

These chronic delays are largely a result of the failure to repair Germany’s deteriorating track network, which is required if the country wants a return to punctual services. Back in 1994, the year that Deutsche Bahn was privatised, over 90 percent of long-distance trains arrived on time.

As recently as 2017, 86 percent of passengers were arriving at their destination with a delay of 15 minutes or less. Now, with the German government partially scrapping funding for track renovation after its 2023 budget crisis, it is already expected that delays in 2024 will be worse again. To fill the funding gap, Deutsche Bahn will sell off Schenker, a logistics and freight transport subsidiary of the international company.

Thumb image credit: ON-Photography Germany / Shutterstock.com

By Olivia Logan