US News Metro Long Island Politics

Sports NFL MLB Olympics NBA NHL College Football College Basketball WNBA

Entertainment TV Movies Music Celebrities Awards Theater

Lifestyle Weird But True Sex & Relationships Viral Trends Human Interest Parenting Fashion & Beauty Food & Drink Travel

Health Wellness Fitness Health Care Medicine Men’s Health Women’s Health Mental Health Nutrition

Science Space Environment Wildlife Archaeology

Today’s Paper Covers Columnists Horoscopes Crosswords & Games Sports Odds Podcasts Careers

Email Newsletters Official Store Home Delivery Tips

Switch between CA and NY editions here.

Train troubles in Europe expose transit’s fatal flaw — contempt for riders

See more of our coverage in your search results.

When I traveled to Europe last month for a summer rail adventure, I knew to allow plenty of time for delays.

I learned that lesson two years ago on a similar journey, when one of my trips on the state-owned German railroad Deutsche Bahn was hours late.

What I wasn’t expecting was a DB train that didn’t run at all — with no warning and zero customer support.

The hypocritical message: We want you to take the train instead of driving or flying, but we’ll make you miserable in the process.  

During my previous trip, in 2024, a four-hour ride from Cologne to Hamburg turned into a meandering seven-hour journey beset with unexplained detours.  

That experience mirrored statistics: Only 60% of DB’s long-distance trains run on time.

MTA worker, mom of 3, fatally struck by oncoming train while working on NYC subway tracks

Explosion near German train station injures two

Letting off steam: Australia’s legendary luxury rail line rolls out sumptuous new suites

“Deutsche Bahn now underperforms even the worst British train operator,” the Financial Times found last year.  

Why? Because, much like New York’s 2017 “summer of hell,” decades of poor decision-making have caught up with the transit system. 

But in Germany, it’s been years of hell.

The country neglected its rail network as social-service spending grew.  

Now it’s making $124 billion in investments — but........

© New York Post