A German summer season journey journey – DW – 07/27/2025

A summer season journey the North Sea island of Föhr is a superb concept, I assumed. I can swap off my information feeds and neglect all about wars, about Donald Trump, far-right populism and the desolate state of German infrastructure. Once I make it to Föhr, I can simply sit on the seaside all day, gaze out on the sea and chill out.

I booked a pleasant lodge and determined to take the morning practice straight from Berlin to Dagebüll, the small city on the coast from which ferries depart for the island. This can be a relaxed and environmentally pleasant begin to the journey with my girlfriend to the Wadden Sea. Or so we thought.

We ought to have recognized higher. Of course, now we have heard, for instance, that Switzerland — the place 98% to 99% of all trains run precisely on time — has stopped permitting trains from Germany to cross the border as a result of they’re notoriously unpunctual. Only 62% are on schedule. Now, passengers coming from Germany have to vary onto Swiss trains in Basel, in order to not disrupt the visitors movement in our neighbor to the south.

However, on our journey up north, every part was advantageous. At first.

Our practice left Berlin on time, and we acquired so far as Niebüll. In this small city in North Frisia, the practice is separated into two components: The first travels on to Sylt, the occasion island for the rich. The different goes on on to Dagebüll with its ferry pier. Theoretically.

Just earlier than we acquired to Niebüll there was an announcement: “Today, the entire train is going to Sylt. Anyone who wants to go to Föhr must get off in Niebüll and take the regional train to Dagebüll.”

That’s OK, we thought, it will not upend our plans. Admittedly, getting our suitcases off the quick practice and onto the hopelessly overcrowded regional practice was not precisely how we had imagined the beginning of our trip.

There was no info on the explanations for this variation in schedule, however we had been unfazed. We have turn into accustomed to dealing with the surprising modifications in itineraries and timetables of Deutsche Bahn. There are loads of tales about trains which have damaged down, turned again or been delayed for hours, for which nobody appears to be accountable.

Finally on Föhr

When we ultimately arrived on Föhr, every part was simply what we had hoped for. We gazed on the sea.

Even the truth that most pubs, bars and eating places solely settle for money funds and no bank cards was an issue just for just a few worldwide vacationers. But everyone knows that Germany simply wants a bit of extra time to meet up with the world on technological developments. We keep in mind former German Chancellor Angela Merkel telling us in 2013 that the web was “Neuland” (“uncharted territory”). That’s simply how it’s in one of many world’s main industrial nations.

The railways match proper into this image. For a long time, little or no was invested within the roughly 33,500 kilometers (20,800 miles) of monitor. Bridges, switches and sign packing containers are actually dilapidated or antiquated.

After just a few fantastic days on Föhr, we launched into our return journey, properly rested. Again, we had been scheduled to take the “direct train” from Dagebüll to Berlin.

There was a practice ready for us on the platform. However, deja vu: it was not the quick practice we anticipated, however the gradual practice to Niebüll. Locals informed us it had been like this for a very long time, due to employees shortages. The direct practice to the capital mainly not exists. It’s nonetheless on the timetable, however what does a timetable imply to Deutsche Bahn?

Sheep on the tracks

Not lengthy into our journey, one other announcement was made: A practice touring forward of us had hit a flock of sheep standing on the tracks. We had been informed {that a} railway emergency officer, a shepherd, a hunter and different officers had been “on their way” to the scene of the accident. No additional particulars had been forthcoming. According to the practice driver, the native officers who might need extra info weren’t accessible, sadly.

Our practice conductor took the initiative and known as the conductor of the practice concerned within the accident in entrance of us on his cell. It turned out that the monitor had been cleared.

However, we had been nonetheless not permitted to proceed our journey. Even our useful conductor didn’t know why. “I’m going to do something I’ve never done before in my long career with the railway,” he mentioned and commenced to distribute reward vouchers. “Perhaps you will get a bouquet of flowers,” he mused. “Deutsche Bahn says sorry” was printed on the vouchers. We had been impressed.

From Hamburg to Berlin

Then got here the following shock: as a result of the delay had been so lengthy, the practice had been “suspended” in Hamburg. A pleasant manner of claiming: the practice ends right here. We had been among the many fortunate ones, discovering a quick Intercity Express ready to take us to the capital. Other passengers weren’t so fortunate.

“I’ll be completely honest with you,” our informative practice conductor ventured. “We’re not allowed to continue our journey because we’ve all far exceeded our working hours,” he mentioned. We puzzled whether or not there was any alternative employees for emergencies like this. “There used to be, but not anymore,” was the reply.

More and extra railway workers are resigning, unable to place up with the mounting anger and frustration of the passengers. Many say they not need to work for an organization that’s working itself into the bottom.

Finally, 4 hours later than deliberate, we reached Berlin.

From August 1, worse is to return. Hamburg to Berlin, one of many major rail routes in Germany, is scheduled to shut down fully. Extensive constructing work is ready to start on the road, which is 280 kilometers (174 miles) lengthy and conveys as much as 30,000 passengers every single day. It’s scheduled to take 9 months. During that point, long-distance trains should take a 100-kilometer detour. But if journey is smoother afterwards, we’ll all really feel it has been price it.

Speaking of August 1: The railway firm goals to ship us their apology reward by then. But it could be delayed a bit of.

I feel subsequent time, we’ll journey to Föhr by automotive.

This article was initially written in German.

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