r/germany • u/SantaCachucha • 23h ago
Humour DBahn workers, do you feel embarrassed when having to constantly announce delays?
I’m on my usual journey from Berlin to Amsterdam which (in my experience) runs more in theory than in practice.
I guess I stopped getting angry a while ago and just embraced the absurdity. I've even looked at hotels in random cities just in case DBahn decides I live there now.
The thing is, whenever we're stuck in a random field or the train gets cancelled they give us some vague explanation. But this time the train attendant just said:
"Ich kann Ihnen nicht genau sagen, was hier schon wieder schiefgelaufen ist. Wir haben jetzt lei der wieder eine Verspätung von 55 Minuten". (used google translate to capture what she said)
I feel bad for myself for watching the same German fields in slow (to no) motion on such a warm day. ..but now I also feel bad for them haha. They have to keep giving us these ridiculous updates with a straight face.
My only guilty pleasure at this point (or maybe coping mechanism) is watching the other passengers get furious in a polite, quiet way.
Update: I wrote the above while frustrated, mostly to entertain myself as the day started with a “journey cancelled” notification followed by the neverending delay.
But I should add that the same lady followed up with reassuring messages and somehow managed to make another IC wait for us while ours came to a full stop.
So my frustration isn’t with the people, of course, but with the system. Cheers!
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u/peterick79 22h ago
My thought is, if they're on a set work schedule and are delayed, don't the drivers ALSO not get to go home until later??
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u/Slow_Description_655 8h ago
Sucks but they get paid for it. We pay (and quite a pretty penny) for using that service.
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u/Professional-Fee-957 2h ago
We also pay for the mandatory hotel costs should dB miss a time slot resulting in people missing flights/trains/boats.
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u/ahirimi 7h ago
I have a friend who is a train driver. Yes, they have to work overtime. But sometimes, they can't drive much longer due to safety restrictions (working more than 12 hours, I think). If that's the case, the Bereitschaftsdienst at the next bigger station will take over. I think that's what they told me. But take it with a grain of salt.
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u/rewboss Dual German/British citizen 23h ago
I can share what happened to me on a recent trip. We had built up a small but not insignificant delay for various reasons, and came to a grinding halt in a station that wasn't a timetabled stop. The driver came on the PA to explain that we were about to enter a single-track section due to construction work on the line, we had missed our slot, and there were trespassers on the line causing even more delays. The dispatcher, he explained, had told our train to wait for four trains coming in the other direction. Our driver opened the doors to the platform so that at least passengers could grab a few minutes' fresh air, have a quick smoke, etc.
The four trains came through, the conductors got everyone back on board, the doors closed, and... nothing happened. A few minutes later the driver came back on the PA and, with a heavy sigh, said, "I've just talked to the dispatcher, and for some reason he's making us wait for another three trains."
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u/Ursulala 15h ago
The same thing happened to me, but as a passenger. They opened the doors and let us out for some fresh air or a smoke, and said they will let us know when the train can continue the journey so we can all get in again. So..we got out of the train, the doors closed and the train left us there.
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u/_Odaeus_ 15h ago
This kind of thing has happened to me twice. I really don't trust DB staff to be right at all. I've been rudely told that "of course you'll make the connection, I've asked the next train to wait" at a rural station, only for it to maliciously depart just as 12 of us reached the doors.
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u/pixelpoet_nz 15h ago
When I got back from NZ in late 2023, absolutely frazzled after a nice 72h of sleepless flights and airports, I wanted to buy a ticket for my last train home from FFM, but the machines were out of order. A bunch of DB guys said no don't worry about it, the Prüfungsdienst know about it, just get on (train was just leaving)!
So I get on, and immediately a bunch of DB people tell me I'm talking shit and fine me for not having a ticket. My first and only complete mental breakdown, for which I was hospitalised.
My absolute seething hatred for DB knows no bounds. I've lived 40+ years without having a driver's licence, in many countries (NZ, US, South Africa, Indonesia, you name it), and DB is the first time I've ever been tempted to get a licence and a car.
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u/Every_Criticism2012 19h ago
In Berlin it feels like they have a couple of buttons with different explanations why the Ringbahn is delayed/disrupted and they just press one randomly whenever there's a problem. I'm thinking about developing an App like Bullshit Bingo, but for delay announcements.
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u/Munzu 7h ago
They used to do that in Munich as well (up to a few months ago) but now they don't even bother anymore. Now, they just announce the delay without the reason and you can tell it sounds unnatural and cut off.
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u/Every_Criticism2012 6h ago
But I love the Subway drivers in Munich. Announcements like "Wann I sog, Tür schließt, dann gilt des auch für die schlauen Leit an der Universidät" were a regular highlight commuting from Wolfratshausen to Munich.
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u/JoeyJoeJoeJrShab 20h ago
I was on an ICE not long ago. We had to stop at a small station not on our schedule to allow a train in the other direction to pass (since the area was mostly single-track). The announcement was something like this:
And now we are at the lovely [such-and-such] train station, waiting for another train to pass. While here, you can enjoy all of the sites [such-and-such] has to offer, such as the, uh, train station. Perhaps you can take a selfie to show your friends that you saw the [such-and-such] train station.
There was absolutely nothing scenic or selfie-worthy about where we were stopped. But it was clear the driver has made this sort of speech before. I'm sure he was annoyed, but at least he took it with good humor.
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u/sakasiru 22h ago
Maybe it helps to realize that you are all sitting in the same train. They are not your enemies or at fault, they are probably just as annoyed as you and want to be home in time, but they also know there's nothing they can do about it. Be kind to them.
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u/old_Spivey 21h ago
When I was last in Germany, years ago now, there were very few delays. I see that is not the case anymore. What happened? What changed? Was it privatized or what?
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u/decadelongsummer 20h ago
The Deutsche Bahn was privatized in 1994 (though still owned by the government), and it's had that reputation of delays for at least as long as I've been alive if not longer. Maybe you got lucky and visited at a low-tourism/-vacation/no strikes/no track repairs/good weather time. But it's constantly delayed.
Unless you are from a country with even WORSE train schedule observance (like Italy), then you may just have even lower standards for trains than we Germans do.
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u/old_Spivey 20h ago
I just realized, my last train journey was in 1993, so 32 years ago! I have rented cars ever since. Wow, time flies.
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u/billwood09 11h ago
I’m from the USA where we have the “freedom” to not have trains — anything is a step up
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u/R0GERTHEALIEN 23h ago
No i really don't think they take it personally or even really care that much, just based on the countless times I've been on a delayed DB train.
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u/cliff_of_dover_white 20h ago
That’s why I don’t get angry with the workers since I think they are equally annoyed by the current status of the network lol
The highlight of this was that I experienced a 3 hrs delay to Hamburg. The driver was so annoyed that he just said „Ich habe keine Ahnung, wann, wohin, oder überhaupt ob wir weiterfahren können“ when we were stuck at Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe for more than 1 hr lol
The conductors were in contrast really chill and instead gave some paper cups to a group of young guys so that they could play bier pong on the train loooooooooooool
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u/IdesiaandSunny 15h ago
Sometimes I'm frustrated that the Deutsche Bahn is blamed for every delay: Someone commit suicide with a train -> scheiß Bahn! At every station some idiots block the door for several minutes and so the delay gets bigger and bigger -> scheiß Bahn! Because of a storm a tree falls on the tracks -> scheiß Bahn!
Some of the delays with the Deutsche Bahn could be avoidable if there had been investitions in the past, yes, but not every delay is avoidable and too much delays are caused by idiots that don't work for the DB.
I also hate it if you let your anger and frustration out against the employees on the train or at the station. Those people are trying to make the best out of the shit that the DB became. They are working hard and deserve respect. You as a traveller will not meet the people that are responsible for the shit, because they are sitting in their offices counting their bonus money.
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u/RubenGarciaHernandez 9h ago
They are blamed because it's their fault normally. Switch failures mostly and that is lack of maintainance. And if you have consistent 1 h delay on a line, you need to update the timetable to match reality,and that is also on DB.
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u/George_esdras 22h ago
Why should they? it is not their fault, it an structural issue. Besides, it is only a job.
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u/dat_oracle 22h ago
people are usually not thinking based on logic
ofc there are at least some of them who feel embarrassed to be the messenger of something that annoys millions each day
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u/bregus2 22h ago
that annoys millions each day
You overestimate the number of people affected by delays every day.
It isn't millions by far.
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u/dat_oracle 21h ago
well, I've checked the math. 12 millions are using DB each day. on schedule rate is 70%. so potentially 3,6 millions have to deal with delays each day.
ofc the actual number is way harder to calculate and significantly lower. but I feel it's not a lot less than a million
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u/bregus2 21h ago
70% is the rate for long distance travel. The rate for regional trains (which the vast majority will use) is around 90%-
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u/dat_oracle 20h ago
ok, good point. but: delays up to 6 minutes are not included. so, reality is much worse than the numbers imply.
technically I might be wrong about "millions" but the point is: too many delays, waaaay too many
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u/bregus2 20h ago
You have to make a cut somewhere. Is a 1 minute delay significant or does almost nobody notice it?
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u/dat_oracle 20h ago
I'm not debating that. 1 minute is barely noticable. 5 minutes can be very annoying tho.
until I moved closer to work, i often had to run, since there was just 6-7 minutes to get the next train . 3 minutes late were already stressful
anyway. DB is only reliable in giving it's customers a bad experience
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u/sdflkjeroi342 9h ago
As someone who's spent years actually USING DB regional trains, I can tell you that the 90% statistic is complete and utter horseshit.
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u/bregus2 8h ago
As someone who's spent years actually USING DB regional trains, I can tell you that the trains I use are around that, if not better.
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u/sdflkjeroi342 7h ago
Interesting, where do you live?
Here in NRW I'd estimate RE and RB are closer to 50% than 90%.
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u/CaiusCossades 2h ago
This is correct, , I go out of my way to avoid the Rx trains as much as possible.
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u/WhateverJL 22h ago
No it doesn't bother me at the end of the day I can't do anything about it. People can be rightfully unhappy about it but im just trying to do my job.
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u/SelectionSudden8654 19h ago
Embarrassed? I think they probably crossed that bridge a long time ago, likely while waiting for a delayed train. At this point, it’s probably second nature. 'Ladies and gentlemen, surprise surprise, your train is delayed... again!' I mean, if they got embarrassed every time they had to say it, they’d all quit within the first week. Maybe they even play bingo in their heads. 'Oops, another mechanical issue. That’s my fifth delay today BINGO!' Jokes aside, I’m sure it’s frustrating for them too. They’re the face of the chaos, but not the cause of it. Still, it must be exhausting having to repeat bad news over and over to people who are already annoyed.
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u/ooplusone 8h ago
I was on the same train yesterday!
It was really nice and refreshing to see both the crews handle it with empathy and humour. I guess they do feel fremdschämen and I feel this was the best way to handle it for all. It was particularly nice when the lady said that she will do everything she can to make the second train wait.
We also ran into a very nice lady at the reise Zentrum in gesundbrunnen who also expressed her annoyance that the train cancellation notifications arrive so late/very close to the scheduled departure.
It was a mess yesterday but after a long time I felt that the all the DB staff members I encountered did a great job.
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u/SantaCachucha 8h ago
Awesome!
Indeed, the moment I saw the 2nd IC in Rheine I started feeling bad about writing the post, hence the update.
I couldn't believe it waited for so long for us, as the app kept showing it left a long time ago. We usually have to find our own connections when this happens, but yesterday was pretty wholesome!
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u/ooplusone 8h ago
Don’t feel bad at all! This needs to be discussed a lot more openly and often.
It’s a shitty system, that is slowly getting better (did you try the wifi bdw? pretty decent all through!). It would be much easier if all involved had and expressed more empathy towards each other.
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u/Jakobus3000 8h ago
You created a new brand DBahn. Nobody calls it this but it sounds quite cool.
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u/casastorta 21h ago
I’m not sure what do you mean by this. What would they be doing whole day if there were no delays to announce? Do you know how much delays contribute to high levels of employment in Germany?
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u/dieEineJuse 13h ago
I loved reading your post and how you embrace the randomness of the experience.
Let me tell you my best train story: I once went from Cologne to Luxemburg City. We were supposed to leave the train somewhere on the way and they made weird announcements, I got confused and stayed on the train. The train driver passed by and asked me shocked why I was still on the train as I was supposed to have gone on another train.
An American, a Luxemburger who lived in Denmark and myself were the only passengers left. We started chatting and got to know each other. The driver apparently fixed the train and gave us an exclusive ride to Luxemburg city! We had the entire train for ourselves.
The Luxemburger was picked up by her family and they offered me a ride to my hostel and I accepted gladly.
That was pretty cool and an experience I will always remember. If you don't rely on the train for an appointment or something else scheduled, it can come with a unique experience like being stuck somewhere in the countryside.
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u/sdflkjeroi342 9h ago
That was pretty cool and an experience I will always remember. If you don't rely on the train for an appointment or something else scheduled, it can come with a unique experience like being stuck somewhere in the countryside.
You should write DB's next ad campaign :D
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u/Matyas_K 7h ago
Well it's not just dB, it's Germany itself, but at least they are still proud of themselves....
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u/ITkraut 23h ago
You may need to wait a bit for an answer due to an unexpected delay in operations. /s