The situation on the German rail network is dire. RailFreight.com has probably written that sentence many times before, but circumstances seem to have spiralled completely out of control in recent weeks. The rail freight industry is witnessing absurd scenes as Germany is left without a functioning rail network.
German rail freight has long warned that the renovations plans of DB InfraGO carry great disruptive risks. Simultaneous construction works, such as on the Hamburg–Berlin and Hamburg–Hannover railways, reduce capacity and leave little room for diversions.
DB InfraGO went ahead with its plans despite the warnings. Germany is now feeling the consequences: rail operators are witnessing “increasingly absurd scenes”, says rail freight association Die Güterbahnen.
This also follows from reports by the businesses themselves. On 25 May, METRANS reported that trains were accumulating in all directions: north–south and east–west, no route was spared. Any small disruption currently sends ripple effects through the entire network. An overhead line failure or defect signal worsens the already widespread delays.
No semblance of orderly operations
Whereas METRANS reported delay times to and from German ports and Rotterdam ranging between zero and three days, that has worsened significantly by the time of writing. In Hamburg and Bremerhaven, delays can reach up to 5 days for exports. In Bremerhaven, imports are also delayed by 4 days.
In Wilhemshaven, the rail terminal is only accessible at night time. Domestic operations are delayed by up to 5 days.
“DB InfraGO is no longer able to guarantee even a semblance of orderly operations”, commented Peter Westenberger, Managing Director of Die Güterbahnen. “The effects are being felt across half of Europe. The reason is too many poorly coordinated construction sites, compounded by increasing disruptions to signals, switches, overhead lines, and a lack of timetables.”
These circumstances are making work very difficult for employees on the ground as well. “Waiting up to five hours in front of a red signal is excruciating. Rail freight employees are working at their absolute limit and feel abandoned to deal with the problems alone.”
A new saga in the making
Die Güterbahnen refers to the “odyssey of freight train 88897” as an illustration of the circumstances on the German rail network. Freight train 88897 was not blown off course by Aeolus’ windbags as in the original Odyssey, but it was similarly diverted to Kassel by DB InfraGO while on its way to Nuremberg from Hamburg.
The train took six days to reach Nuremberg, a distance — as the crow flies — of around 460 kilometres. It had to be parked in Kassel for several days due to another closure. Afterwards, it was sent back to Hannover to be put on a normal route towards Nuremberg, says Die Güterbahnen.
Steel mills can barely reach the ports
The highly challenging situation for rail freight is also impacting other sectors. Steel mills have had to reduce production due to insufficient raw material deliveries, explained Westenberger. “Industry and trade face tough times ahead if the transport minister and parliament don’t act now. DB InfraGO is plowing up the field without considering whether anything will grow back.”
The steel industry has indeed indicated that it is suffering from the construction works. “The current situation regarding ore and coal transport by rail is extremely critical for the steel industry”, said Kerstin Maria Rippel, Managing Director of the German Steel Federation, earlier. Rippel added that production plants are already experiencing disruptions. The federation called upon DB InfraGO to improve its construction site management. Freight forwarders Kuehne+Nagel and Hapag-Lloyd joined the steel federation’s appeal.
Die Güterbahnen has come to the conclusion that there needs to be a parliamentary investigation into the matter. It wants the Bundestag’s transport committee to put the escalating problems on the agenda of its meeting in the coming week. The committee should “demand answers regarding the impending damage to freight transport, industry, and supply chains.” The revenue losses and additional costs are already up in the millions of euros, “threatening the very existence of these companies.”