A train every 30 minutes: Deutsche Bahn's new plans

Deutsche Bahn may usually be making headlines with its unpunctual trains, slow reconstruction efforts and overall poor image, but now the bosses of Germany’s biggest rail company are looking to deliver a “wow effect” with a major overhaul. If all goes to plan, passengers can look forward to more frequent trains, cheaper tickets and plenty of seats.

Half-hourly trains between Hamburg and Berlin

Making up the cornerstone of Deutsche Bahn’s ambitious revamp is the plan to double the number of train services between Hamburg and Berlin. Transporting close to 17.000 passengers per day, this route is currently the busiest in the country, but it is only served by one ICE train per hour. Under the new plans, the number of services would increase to once every 30 minutes.

The CEO of Deutsche Bahn, Richard Lutz, said that the planned expansion would make for an additional 20 percent of seat capacity between the two largest cities in Germany. Similar improvements could follow in the near future on the Berlin - Munich line.

Deutschland-Takt project to overhaul Germany’s railways

This announcement comes as a part of the government’s “Deutschland-Takt” project, a major overhaul of Germany’s transportation system. The government has pledged to improve the railway system in the federal republic, providing better-coordinated connections and faster, more punctual and reliable services as it seeks to double passenger numbers by 2030.

Speaking at a rail summit last week, Minister for Transport Andreas Scheuer said that the improvements to timetables will gradually begin from 2021. He also reaffirmed his intention to lower the price of train tickets by reducing taxes.