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How Deutsche Bahn plans to improve its service and staffing in 2019

More investment, more staff, better service, less congestion on the railways: Deutsche Bahn wants to improve its trains with a package of measures to overcome the heavy criticism it has received in recent months.

Published: 17 January 2019 16:37 CET
How Deutsche Bahn plans to improve its service and staffing in 2019
Deutsche Bahn's high-speed ICE trains. Photo: DPA

Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer (CSU) spoke on Thursday of a “good step” following a summit meeting with top Deutsche Bahn executives, in which the main German railway company presented a five-point plan for 2019.

It includes hiring around 22,000 new employees in Germany in 2019 – mainly locomotive drivers, dispatchers and maintenance staff.

Deutsche Bahn will also increase its punctuality this year, Scheuer announced. Due to traffic jams on the rail network, construction sites and vehicle defects, one in four long-distance trains operated by Deutsche Bahn was late in 2018.

The federally owned company announced that punctuality in long-distance traffic is to increase to 76.5 percent this year.

While many critics had pushed the company to bring its rate of being on time to 95 percent, Scheuer explained that a quick increase would not be possible due to capacity bottlenecks.

SEE ALSO: 140,000 Deutsche Bahn trains never reached their destination last year

“Those who now expect new measures which simply fall from the sky do not understand the railway system”, said Scheuer.

In addition, five percent more ICE trains – at least 225 a day – will be ready for service in 2019. This year, together with the federal government, €10.7 billion are to be invested in the network, €1.3 billion more than in the previous year.

Railway customers will also be better informed at the stations – for example, about track changes, an annoyance for many railway customers on a daily basis. Around 80 stations are to be equipped with new displays, monitors and boards in the coming months.

Deutsche Bahn also wants to reduce bottlenecks on particularly busy routes, however. If trains are delayed there, this triggers a domino effect in the entire network. Better control should result in fewer delays, said Scheuer.

'We are reaching our limits'

At a meeting earlier this week on Tuesday with the railway leadership and transport politicians of the coalition, Scheuer set the goal that there should be noticeable improvements in train punctuality and service for railway customers in the first half of the year.

The board had already presented an “Agenda for a Better Railway” with dozens of individual measures. These include better construction site management. Railway malfunctions are to be rectified more quickly and maintenance intervals shortened.

Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz pointed out that the utilization of the rail network had increased considerably since the 1994 rail reform. At the same time, more and more customers are using the railway.

“We are reaching our limits, and growth leads to bottlenecks,” Lutz said. “We need more capacities in order to cope with the traffic of today and tomorrow”.

Lutz and Scheuer announced a new meeting on January 30th. In addition to improvements in the complex group structures, the main focus will then be on financing the railways.

“We have the political will to invest massively in infrastructure,” said Scheuer. The railways are heavily indebted and need additional billions, for example to modernize their fleet and network.

According to earlier statements, Deutsche Bahn intends to invest an additional €5 billion from its own resources in trains and the rail network over the next five years. A full €4 billion of this has not yet been financed, according to earlier statements made by the control committee.

SEE ALSO: Deutsche Bahn raising prices, adding new routes

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TRAVEL

Explore Austria: Mauer, a charming wine-hiking spot on Vienna’s outskirts

Catch the very tail-end of the wine season and autumn foliage in one of the lesser-explored corners of the Austrian capital: Mauer.

Published: 12 November 2021 17:03 CET
Updated: 24 September 2023 08:20 CEST
Explore Austria: Mauer, a charming wine-hiking spot on Vienna’s outskirts
Beautiful views and cosy taverns await you on the edge of Vienna. Photo: Catherine Edwards

Wine-hiking is an autumn must-do in Austria. There’s the official Wine Hiking Day (Weinwandertag) that usually draws in big crowds, but it’s also possible to follow the routes through beautiful scenery and wine taverns on your own.

Mauer in the southwest of Vienna is one of the routes that is mostly frequented by locals.


The footpath takes you through scenic vineyards. Photo: Catherine Edwards

You can reach this part of the 23rd district using Vienna’s public transport, and you have a few options. From the Hietzing station on the U4 line, you can take the tramline 60 or bus 56A. The former will take you either to Mauer’s central square or you can get off earlier at Franz-Asenbauer-Gasse to start the hike. If it’s too early in the day for wine just yet, you could start your day at the small and charming Designo cafe (Geßlgasse 6).

Otherwise, the residential area itself doesn’t have much to see, but keep an eye out as you wander between the taverns later — there are some beautiful buildings.

To start the hike, head west along Franz-Asenbauer Gasse, which will take you up into the vineyards, growing some red wine and Vienna’s specialty Gemischter Satz or ‘field blend’, which as the name suggests is a mixture of different types of grapes.

Photo: Catherine Edwards

The paved road takes a left turn, but the hiking route follows a smaller path further upwards. Here you’ll have magnificent views over the whole of Vienna.

If you stick to the official hiking route (see a map from Weinwandern here) you can keep the whole route under 5 kilometres. But more adventurous types don’t need to feel limited.

You can also follow the Stadtwanderweg 6 route (see a map here) either in full, which will add on a hefty 13 kilometres, or just in part, and venture further into the Mauerwald. If you do this, one spot to aim for is the Schießstätte, a former hunting lodge offering hearty Austrian meals.

EXPLORE AUSTRIA

In any case, you should definitely take a small detour to see the Wotrubakirche, an example of brutalist architecture from the mid-1970s built on a site that was used as a barracks during the Second World War.

Not far from the church is the Pappelteich, a small pond that is not only an important habitat for local flora and fauna, but a popular picnic spot for hikers. Its only water supply is from the rain, and due to climate change the pond has almost dried out in recent years, prompting the city to take action to boost its water supply by adding a permanent pipe.


The church is made up of over 150 concrete blocks. Photo: Catherine Edwards

What you really come to Mauer for, though, are the Heuriger or Viennese wine taverns. 

The most well-known is Edlmoser (Maurer Lange Gasse 123) which has previously been named as the best in Vienna. Note that it’s not open all year so check the website, but in 2021 it should be open between November 5th and 21st, and is also serving the goose that is a popular feature on Viennese menus this time of year.

Tip for translating Heuriger opening times: look for the word ausg’steckt, which is used by those taverns which aren’t open year round. They will also often show that they’re open by attaching a bunch of green twigs to the sign or front door.


Buschenschank Grausenburger. Photo: Catherine Edwards

Also worth visiting are cosy Buschenschank Grausenburger (Maurer Lange Gasse 101a), Heuriger Wiltschko (Wittgensteinstrasse 143 — located near the start of the hiking route, this is a good place to begin your tour) and Heuriger Fuchs-Steinklammer (Jesuitensteig 28).

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