More and more German trains are not allowed to enter Switzerland

Swiss restrictions on German trains

• Switzerland now blocks late German long-distance trains at the border to protect its tightly timed, high‑capacity network.
• Trains may terminate at Basel Bad or require passengers to change to Swiss services, adding 15–30 minutes but avoiding knock‑on delays.
• Commenters stress this is mainly an operational necessity, not “anti‑German” sentiment; Swiss lines run near capacity with tight buffers.

Deutsche Bahn punctuality and reliability

• Many report German trains as “increasingly delayed” and cancellations as common, including missed flights/ferries and unreliable school commutes.
• Official punctuality metrics are seen as misleading: generous thresholds (up to 15 minutes, separate measures, cancelled trains often excluded) and incomplete real‑time data.
• Structural issues cited: mixed freight/passenger use on the same tracks, removal of sidings/switches, under‑investment, and overloaded network.

Funding, privatization, and incentives

• One camp: main cause is chronic underfunding and political prioritization of roads; per‑capita rail investment is said to lag far behind Switzerland and Luxembourg.
• Another camp: more money alone won’t fix a dysfunctional, corporate‑style structure with perverse incentives (maintenance vs. “new build” budgets, short‑term cost cutting).
• Debate on “privatization”: DB is a corporatized but state‑owned holding; some see this as effectively public, others as mimicking private, profit‑oriented behavior without competition.
• Mixed international comparisons: Japan’s privatization praised; Sweden and the UK cited as warnings about splitting infrastructure and operations.

Comparisons with other systems

• Switzerland held up as the benchmark: very high on‑time performance with a strict 3‑minute threshold and dense, integrated clock‑face timetable.
• Other European operators (France, Spain, Italy) are often reported as more reliable and faster on long‑distance routes.
• Some US commuter and regional systems claim high on‑time rates, but long‑distance Amtrak and North American intercity buses are described as highly unreliable.

Culture, management, and workforce

• Multiple comments blame DB’s internal culture: intense blame‑seeking, risk aversion, bureaucracy, weak improvisation, and “ass‑covering” over problem‑solving.
• Forthcoming staff shortages and aging infrastructure are seen as worsening reliability unless governance, incentives, and investment change.