Another day - another delayed German arrival.  For all the past reputation of German efficiency, I/we have had a whole series of late arrivals in Germany and indeed that reputation of being on time hasn't been the case. However I/we (2 of us on some journeys - me alone on some) have always easily know about out options when we arrive at final or connecting stations, and we never had a lack of information nor very much extended waits for connections.

Part 1 - from 18th May 2025

(Amsterdam) to Osnabrück
Osnabrück to Hamburg (-10 thoughout (note 7))
Hamburg to Rostock (-8 into Rostock (note 6))
Rostock to Warnemünde (-15 into Warnemünde (note 1))

Warnemünde to Rostock (whole day on time)
Rostock to Tessin
Tessin to Rostock
Rostock to Bad Doberan
+ Bad Doberan to Heiligendamm
(Heiligendamm to Rostock by bus)
Rostock to Warnemünde

Warnemünde to Rostock (whole day on time)
Rostock to Wismar
Wismar to Bad Kleinen
Bad Kleinen to Rostock
Rostock to Warnemünde

Warnemünde to Rostock (whole day on time)
Rostock to Hamburg
Hamburg to Kiel

Part 2 - from 29th May 2025

[Prague] to Berlin Hbf (-70 late into Berlin (note 2))

Berlin to Magdeburg
Magdeburg to Quedlinburg
+ Quedlinburg to Alexisbad
+ Alexisbad to Eisfelder Talmühle
+ Eisfelder Talmühl to Nordhausen Nord
Nordhausen to Halle (-6 into Halle (note 3))
Halle to Berlin (-10 late from Halle, -25 into Berlin (note 4))

Berlin to Potsdam Hbf (-5 into Potsdam (note 5))
Potsdam to Berlin (-15 into Berlin (note 5))

Berlin to Offenburg (-95 into Offenburg (note 8))
Offenburg to [Strasbourg]

Notes

+ - Not a train on the Interrail pass network

[place] - outside Gernany - this was an international train

1. Inbound conenction missed (just) so we were half an hour down and then the train to Warnemünde left on time but had to wait for the single line section for a delayed train coming the other way. This line is normally double tracked all the way but active engineering works replacing the second track mean all trains are sharing the single line.

2. The train from Prague ran AOK to Rzepin but then the locomotive had to be replaced - don't know why - at such short notice it appeared to have taken them by surprise.

3. Reason not known; I think it was congestion.

4. Classic case of 2 wrongs making a right - because of delay (3) my short connection actually made - I don't know why the train was late when I joined it, but further time was lost as we went past engineering works "wrong line" - out of path and had to wait for the single section

5. Trains overloaded and extra station time needed, especially on the journey back into Berlin.  They would have been on time if it wasn't for those pesky customers.

6. We joined this train running a little late and no time was made up. Reason unknown

7. Reason unknown.  Just slipped back?

8. About 15 late into Mannheim - again due to engineering works. But we sat there for an extended period, and we then sat for an extended period at Karlsruhr too. Explanation - translated by fellow passengers for us - was that the train was overloaded and would some people please get off.  Sort of "Mexican stand off". Eventually enough people found alternatives / gave up and got off to allow us to proceed.

In 2024, DW also reports:

https://www.dw.com/en/germany-a-third-of-long-distance-trains-delayed-in-2023/a-67964403

That article is dated 01/12/2024 (US format) and when I cut and paste it, I get 01/12/2024 January 12, 2024.

This may sound a bit "when I were a lad" but....when I were a lad, our annual rail journeys on the Holland-Scandinavia Express from Hoek van Holland to Hamburg (and back) where always pretty much on time...... rather important on the home leg when there was an overnight ferry to connect with.  Even the London-Harwich links ran pretty much on time.....I can recall only once the service from Liverpool Street station to Parkeston Quay running a little late but we made the sailing okay.
Now that was the 60s and early 70s and what struck me a little later in life was how in reality the distance from Hoek to Hamburg was far less than the half day train journey felt like.  It's a very different European network now, faster and undoubtedly more complicated so it comes as no surprise that line repairs and enhancements regularly need to happen.

On our Interrail trip last March my expectations were definitely upset by our experiences.

We traveled on trains in the following 8 countries:

UK^▸ (United Kingdom), France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany and Belgium.

Obviously in many of these, we were on trains that crossed international borders (so delays may have been caused elsewhere). But of these 8 countries, only in one did all the trains we used run to time.

And that was...






The UK!