Due to train cancellations and delays last year, Deutsche Bahn had to compensate its customers for a record amount. The company paid travelers a total of 92.7 million euros, or 54.5 million euros more than in 2021, according to the Rheinische Post, citing a spokesperson for the railway.
About 3.8 million compensation claims were processed last year, according to a Deutsche Bahn report. “That’s about 2.2 million more than in 2021,” the spokesperson confirmed. The increase in the number of applications is due to several reasons. For example, after the “corona” years of 2020 and 2021, the number of travelers has again increased dramatically. In addition, since June 2021, it has become possible to claim compensation online. It only takes a few minutes “and is therefore more often used by customers than before, when the procedure was carried out exclusively via an analogue passenger rights form”, a spokesperson said.
At a recent annual press conference, Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz acknowledged significant punctuality issues on the railway. It has decreased in long-distance traffic from 75.2% in 2021 to 65.2% in 2022. According to passenger rights, for a delay of 60 minutes or more, customers receive compensation in the amount of 25% of the one-way fare paid, and for a delay of 120 minutes or more – 50%.
It also became known that last year Lutz received more than twice as much money from his company as a year earlier. According to the annual report, the amount received by the CEO was 2.24 million euros. At the same time, his base salary is around 970,000 euros. Added to this is a bonus of more than 1.26 million euros. In addition, Berthold Huber, member of the management board in charge of infrastructure, and Martin Seiler, member of the management board in charge of human resources, also received more than adequate remuneration. This circumstance aroused much criticism, especially among the trade unions. Deutsche Bahn is currently negotiating a new collective agreement with EVG.
