Deutsche Bahn defends itself: No cancellation of tens of thousands of seats!

Deutsche Bahn defends itself: No cancellation of tens of thousands of seats!

Deutsche Bahn's long-distance transport is currently causing quite a stir, as a report in the magazine "Spiegel" about an alleged reduction in tens of thousands of seats has caused a lot of excitement. However, Deutsche Bahn has firmly denied this report and stated that it has no plans to cut 21,000 seats on long-distance trains. Instead, they want to increase the number of available places by 2036, as the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger ( ksta.de ) reported.

The “Spiegel” mentions in detail that the number of seats in long-distance transport could shrink from the current 265,000 to 244,000. The intercity trains would be particularly affected, where almost every second of the 55,000 seats would be lost. But Deutsche Bahn emphasizes that its fleet strategy is not aimed at dismantling but rather at rejuvenating and modernizing the trains. According to the current plan, old and fault-prone trains are to be retired. This would not only stabilize operations, but also increase overall capacity.

Intercity trains and ICE models in focus

The older models of intercity trains (IC), where 23,000 of 55,000 seats are at risk, are particularly under discussion. At the same time, on the ICE trains, as you can read in the overview ( rnd.de ), even introduce 2,000 additional seats in the next few years and also use the existing ICE trains on routes that are currently served by intercity models. This strategy is part of a larger plan to stabilize operations and improve overall service offerings.

The railway makes it clear that the figures quoted by “Spiegel” refer to existing trains, including older trains. These are often no longer in regular use. The railway continues to reaffirm its commitment to a Germany-wide transport offering and will not withdraw from the area, which should benefit many commuters and travelers.

Public criticism and skepticism

The massive reactions to the “Spiegel” report didn’t take long to arrive. This was expressed by critics such as Luigi Pantisano and Professor Volker Quaschning, who rated the proposals as irrational. Quaschning even spoke of “dismantling instead of expanding”. The journalist Serafin Reiber from “Spiegel” also expressed doubts about the increase in efficiency, especially since the figures come from internal documents from the railway.

In summary, it looks as if Deutsche Bahn is going into the future with a clear plan. In the period from 2005 to 2023, there was a steady increase in the number of seats in Deutsche Bahn AG's inventory, as Statista shows ( statista.com ). With a good hand, the railway will try to master the challenges of the future and at the same time increase the capacities for its passengers.}