Traffic chaos in Bavaria: S 1 paralyzed due to a defective signal box!

Traffic chaos in Bavaria: S 1 paralyzed due to a defective signal box!

In Cologne, a defective signal box is causing considerable inconvenience in rail traffic. Loud news.de The S-Bahn local transport between Neufahrn and Freising Airport has been affected since today, August 12, 2025. The reason for this is unexpected technical disruptions that led to deviations in the timetable. In order to still offer travelers an option, a replacement service with large taxis was set up.

It's not just the S-Bahn lines that are struggling with disruptions. Rail freight traffic on important main routes has also come to a standstill due to signal box problems. There were serious disruptions on the Ruhr-Sieg and Dill route between October 9th and 11th, 2024, which can be attributed to the unmanned and understaffed signal boxes, such as db-watch.de reported. Traffic on this important transport axis was temporarily suspended, which meant that users had to switch to cars because replacement rail transport could not be organized in a timely manner.

Problems in rail transport

Deutsche Bahn's punctuality reflects such problems. In 2023, only around 64% of long-distance trains were on time, which represents a slight decrease compared to 2022, when it was 65.2%. The reason for the unreliability is often due to construction sites, renovations or disruptions to vehicles and lines, which can affect not only trains but also entire transport flows. Rail freight transport was also confronted with diversions and delays that put a strain on the entire infrastructure. 36% of the trains were at least six minutes late, which greatly unsettled travelers.

In the first quarter of 2023, however, regional transport achieved better punctuality of 92 to 93%, which shows that things are going better in some local transport areas. The statistics of deutschebahn.com gives an overview of the various punctuality values, with the operational figures for passenger transport being 88% and for regional transport being 88.9%. The values ​​are particularly striking in long-distance transport, where punctuality fluctuates between 57.1% and 62.9%, which represents a massive discrepancy compared to the local transport figures.

Outlook and measures

Deutsche Bahn is under pressure not only to improve punctuality, but also to optimize the processes involved in manning signal boxes. Especially in freight transport, smooth communication and proactive planning are necessary to counteract such failures. The experiences of the past few months have made it clear that the measures taken to staff signal boxes so far have been inadequately assessed. In order to ensure reliability in rail transport in the future, a rethink and quick solutions are required.

The current situation also has an impact on passenger flows in Cologne. Travelers have to be prepared for longer waiting times and detours. It is therefore advisable to regularly check the latest traffic reports and, if necessary, make alternative travel plans.