Why German Trains No Longer Run on Time

A Links entry from Tuesday, July 24, 2007

1:49 PM

Why German Trains No Longer Run on Time

According to Der Spiegel, the German rail system is being privatized, which many expect will worsen the frequent delays already present:

…German train users fear that the sale of parts of the business to private investors starting next year, under a plan agreed by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government on Tuesday, will result in more delays — and the closure of less profitable regional routes.

But, on the other hand, some companies will make lots of money:

…Deutsche Bahn’s financial results and its global expansion are likely to whet investors’ appetites. Last year its operating profit jumped 80 percent to €2.5 billion, on revenue up 8 percent at €26.9 billion. Its workforce at the end of last year was 229,200, down 50,000 from 10 years ago.

So in the end, everyone wins, at least if you’re a top-level railway executive…

3 Comments

Mark Cullen

I think privatization in some situations could work as long as there are benchmarks and accountability. The problem is that it’s much harder to hold someone in business accountable than it is someone in government. Then again it’s not exactly easy to hold someone in government accountable these days…

therefore Ron Paul was actually spawned from the constitution itself.

Also, the idea of taxing people to pay a for services from a private organization is abhorrent as the loyalty of any coporation is to its stockholders and not to its customers.

Jul 24, 2007 @ 1:59 PM