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Train traffic in Brandenburg and Berlin: punctuality in danger!
Current travel warning for Bernau near Berlin: disruptions to DB long-distance traffic since June 16, 2025 due to a signal box defect.
Train traffic in Brandenburg and Berlin: punctuality in danger!
Today, June 16, 2025, Deutsche Bahn informed about significant timetable changes for long-distance transport in Brandenburg, Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The reason for the changes is a defective signal box between Berlin and Eberswalde. Since this date, travelers have had to prepare for disruptions in connections, especially with the ICE trains from Berlin via Eberswalde to Pasewalk, Greifswald and the popular Baltic Sea resort of Binz. Affected stops such as Bernau, Eberswalde, Angermünde, Prenzlau, Pasewalk, Anklam, Züssow and Greifswald could be omitted, with a replacement stop being set up in Neustrelitz. The DB staff is already working hard to resolve the disruption and asks all travelers to find out about the current connections before their journey, whether via bahn.de or the DB Navigator.
The punctuality of Deutsche Bahn's long-distance trains is proving to be problematic in 2023 - only around 64% of trains arrived on time, which is a decrease compared to 65.2% in 2022. A shocking 36% of trains were delayed by at least six minutes. In comparison, DB Regio trains had an impressive punctuality of 92-93% in the first quarter of this year. The reasons for this unpunctuality are diverse: construction sites, renovations, vehicle malfunctions as well as technical problems with the control and safety system or the rail network continue to represent major challenges [News.de].
Additional impairments due to cable damage
The situation is further exacerbated by the announced restrictions on train traffic to and from Oberstdorf from November 3, 2023, such as German railway reports. Massive cable damage in the signal box requires a complete replacement, which entails the construction of a new electronic signal box. During this time, only one track in Oberstdorf station can be used, which results in massive restrictions on train traffic. Travelers should prepare for extended travel times - around 20 minutes for regional connections leading to and from Oberstdorf. Alternatives are offered in the form of bus connections, while long-distance trains from cities such as Hamburg and Dortmund are canceled until further notice.
The challenges for Deutsche Bahn seem to never end. In the first half of 2024, punctuality in rail transport in Germany is only 89.9%, with DB Long-Distance showing a further deterioration at 62.7%. This is in stark contrast to the almost 90.1% punctuality rate in DB rail passenger transport. Above all, the aging and overloading of the infrastructure, staff shortages and many construction sites have a negative impact on the quality of operations. To counteract this, measures were introduced to stabilize operational quality. In an action plan to improve punctuality, accelerated measures should be taken to stabilize the situation, as can be seen from the reports on zbir.de.
Travelers are well advised to regularly inform themselves about their connections and to be patient, as timetables and availability could change at short notice. Deutsche Bahn is working intensively to improve service and bring punctuality back to an acceptable level. Until then, things will remain exciting on the rails from Brandenburg to Oberstdorf.