Palla plans three packages of measuresDeutsche Bahn wants to improve delay forecasts using artificial intelligence
July 8, 2026, 4:12 am
Listen to the article(02:39 min)
Railroad chief Evelyn Palla expects it will be years before trains operate more reliably. SplitFollow along:
The railway wants to invest in the safety, cleanliness and comfort of passengers. But the biggest problem remains train delays. In the future, schedule deviations and connecting routes will be reported more accurately using artificial intelligence.
In the future, Deutsche Bahn wants to ensure that passengers traveling by train are better and faster informed about delays, train cancellations or last-minute track changes. CEO Evelyn Palla wants to introduce a new immediate program to improve customer engagement. It is the latest of three packages of measures the railway is trying to improve the travel experience for its customers, despite numerous delays.
The first program to improve safety and cleanliness at train stations and the second to improve comfort on long-distance trains have already been presented. In particular, the company wants to add more security guards to many of its stations. There should also be more cleaners to ensure cleanliness. In addition, twice as many stations as last year will undergo a so-called general cleaning – about 1,400 instead of the last 700 stations.
The group wants to invest an additional 20 million euros per year in the future to make trains more comfortable. The money is intended to ensure a more robust offering in onboard dining options and greater availability of amenities such as toilets and coffee machines. Train cleaners want to double the number of trains.
“Especially when there are many schedule deviations, it is important that we keep our passengers informed and have up-to-date, reliable and consistent data across various customer channels,” railway boss Palla said back in March – a plan she now wants to implement. “We have to rely even more on artificial intelligence than before; we can make improvements, especially when it comes to forecast delays.”
Nowadays, passengers often have to deal with the fact that forecasts change along the way – and as a result, no one knows exactly when the train will arrive or whether it will be possible to reach the connecting connection. These items do not improve punctuality. Palla Railway chief has already warned travelers it will be years before trains are more reliable again.