German rail operator sets goal for 80% long-distance punctuality by 2035

BERLIN, June 25 (Reuters) - German rail operator Deutsche Bahn is targeting 80% punctuality in long-distance traffic by 2035, when it hopes to complete a years-long restructuring and network overhaul, the state-owned company said on Thursday.

Chief Executive Evelyn Palla presented the goal to the company's supervisory board on Wednesday as part of a planned 10-year strategy.

Palla said the group was abandoning earlier, largely growth-driven plans under the slogan "Strong Rail" and would focus on "realistic goals and facts", according to the company statement.

Germany's rail champion has become a symbol of national frustration. In 2025, only just over 60% of Deutsche Bahn's long-distance trains ran on time, the company has said. Deutsche Bahn paid more than €155 million ($176.33 million) in compensation for delays in that year.

Decades of under-investment left tracks, switches and signal boxes worn out. In 2026 alone, Deutsche Bahn and the government plan more than €23 billion of rail investment, with about 28,000 building sites expected.

The new strategy foresees a slimmed-down holding company, more autonomy for business units, annual cost savings of over €500 million from 2028 and an operating profit of €1.7 billion by 2030, Deutsche Bahn said.

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(Reporting by Kirsti KnolleEditing by Madeline Chambers)