German rail operator pays €197m in compensation for delays in 2024

Germany's Deutsche Bahn rail operator last year paid out almost €197 million ($214 million) in compensation for delays and cancellation, the state-owned company reported in Berlin on Sunday.

Around 6.9 million claims were submitted over the course of the year. In 2023, 5.6 million claims resulted in payouts totalling €132.8 million.

Speaking to the mass-circulation Bild newspaper, a company spokesman said: "If a train has been delayed, and our passengers are entitled to compensation, we pay this out without argument. And long delays lead to high compensation payments."

According to state-owned Deutsche Bahn, 80% of delays were down to ageing and overloaded infrastructure.

More than a third of long-distance rail services were unpunctual last year, with 37.5% of arrivals delayed by more than 5:59 minutes. The figure implied the worst punctuality rating in at least 21 years.

The spokesman noted ongoing refurbishment work. Deutsche Bahn plans thorough refurbishment on 41 high-traffic corridors by 2030.

"DB aims to raise the punctuality of its long-distance express services to 75% to 80% by the end of 2027," the spokesman said.