Train chaos in Aschaffenburg: Protest against ICE failure at 7:05 a.m.!

Train chaos in Aschaffenburg: Protest against ICE failure at 7:05 a.m.!

The mood in Aschaffenburg is making waves. The local passenger association has loudly Mirror massive protest was triggered because the ICE towards Munich was to be removed from the timetable at 7:05 a.m. This decision is particularly hard on commuters and causes a lack of understanding among the affected travelers.

Deutsche Bahn justifies the loss with a lack of staff, although this argument is met with increasing skepticism among the public. Internal information shows that trains are deliberately canceled in order to optimize punctuality. Loud daily news Internal chat messages confirm that employees see this practice as a common way to improve lateness statistics. Despite these revelations, the railway is sticking to its position.

The background to the train cancellations

The authorities and the DB itself vehemently deny the allegations about the intention to deliberately cancel trains to improve statistics. But reality often speaks a different language. The official reasoning behind train cancellations sometimes revolves around unmanned signal boxes and a lack of staff, which doesn't really explain the root of the problem.

Another example that underlines the concerns was the ICE 616, which was unable to travel to Hamburg on September 16th - officially due to “short-term staff shortages”. Many travelers are wondering whether these statements are actually true or whether this is another example of mismanagement being denied.

Financial turmoil and political reactions

Deutsche Bahn is not only confronted with massive protests, but also made a loss of 760 million euros in the first half of 2025. Interestingly, there is a slight improvement compared to the previous year. The punctuality rate in long-distance transport was 63.4%, which represents a small increase compared to the 62.7% of the previous year. But the critical voices are increasing.

Given these financial difficulties, opinions vary. While the DB is trying to sell its measures as economically sensible, Karl-Peter Naumann from the Pro Bahn passenger association is calling for more transparency about the real reasons for the train cancellations. In addition, Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder announced a comprehensive reorganization of the company after the previous railway boss Richard Lutz had to resign.

The question of what will happen next with the railway remains open. Citizens in Aschaffenburg and other affected cities are watching the developments with great interest and are pinning their hopes on a better and more reliable rail network.