To;dr: Train travel in Germany was a complete mess for business / long distance travellers in the last three months. The other side of the coin is: the ultra c

To;dr: Train travel in Germany was a complete mess for business / long distance travellers in the last three months. The other side of the coin is: the ultra cheap train ticket exposed the deficiencies in Germany’s rail system. For years, investments have been delayed and critical rail tracks have been reduced to the bear minimum of bandwidth. Regional trains and high-speed long-distance trains were sharing the same tracks. The former completely overcrowded, running late most of the time, and therefore affecting the latter. trains were running late most of the time, cancellations were frequent. Or even worse: Elderly people and small kids were stuck in standing, overheated trains (bonus: air con was defective) with no water, or possibilities to sit. A logistical failure. I’m paying for a flat rate for all trains in Germany, not only the regional ultra cheap category. I’m using this to travel frequently from the north or the south of Germany for business matters. The service and information policy was abysmal. I had to take the cab about 10 times for long-distance travel, and checked on multiple times in hotels to stay overnight. Who pays for that? Answer: the taxpayer. The Deutsche Bahn (German train company) was and is not prepared for this kind usage pattern.