Half-year results: Deutsche Bahn with three-digit million loss in the first half of the year

Deutsche Bahn incurred a triple-digit million euro loss in the first half of 2025, but performed significantly better than in the same period last year. The federally owned company recorded a loss of approximately €760 million after income taxes, according to the German Press Agency. In the first half of 2024, the deficit was €1.6 billion. Group revenue rose to €13.3 billion in the same period, an increase of 3.4 percent. The operating loss before interest and taxes (price-adjusted EBIT) was €239 million. Deutsche Bahn will publish its half-year financial statements on Thursday.

The struggling railway is currently attempting to get back on track with a comprehensive restructuring program. Recently, the transport company has not only been lacking in punctuality in operations, but has also been performing poorly financially. Added to this is a dilapidated infrastructure that barely accommodates the steadily increasing volume of traffic . The program aims to bring improvements in all three areas—infrastructure, operations, and finance—by the end of 2027. This will be achieved, among other things, through the comprehensive renovation of around 40 heavily used routes.

The next of these comprehensive line modernizations begins on August 1. The important connection between Berlin and Hamburg will then be completely closed for nine months. Railway experts consider this major renovation to be the first real test of the construction concept, as the route is relatively long and the diversion options are more difficult than, for example, during the major renovation between Frankfurt and Mannheim.

It is unlikely that the Hamburg-Berlin line's renovation will significantly improve punctuality. Further major renovations are likely necessary, with four planned for 2026. From a passenger perspective, improvements are urgently needed. In June, only 57.1 percent of long-distance stops were reached on time, resulting in a maximum delay of 5:59 minutes. Deutsche Bahn's goal is a punctuality rate of 65 to 70 percent for the entire year.