Gabriel Kelly's 13-hour rail odyssey: A record horror!

Gabriel Kelly's 13-hour rail odyssey: A record horror!

Gabriel Kelly, known from the TV show “Let’s Dance”, recently began a journey home that would have turned into a nightmare for most people. His 13-hour trip from Hamburg to Greifswald on Deutsche Bahn set a new record for travel fatigue. Kelly began his journey at 12 p.m. and did not reach his destination until 1 a.m. Normally it only takes him two and a half hours to travel this route by car - a significant difference that was primarily due to the numerous train cancellations that made his journey a test of patience. This was also explained by the Uckermark Kurier, where Kelly commented on the difficult return journey.

An announced direct train turned out to be a rail replacement service, which extended the journey by more than two hours. Kelly, environmentally conscious and with good intentions to use the train, decided against the convenience of his own vehicle. He described the 13 hours as “not tasty” and would like to avoid this experience as much as possible in the future.

Train travel in summer: a challenge

The railway lines are often narrow, especially in the summer months. The situation is exacerbated by the ongoing train cancellations between Berlin and Hamburg to the Baltic Sea, which poses a challenge for many passengers. In recent weeks, numerous travelers have been left behind on the platforms because the trains have been overcrowded. This was also confirmed by Jutta Wegner, the transport policy spokeswoman for the Greens in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. She sharply criticized the state government for the insufficient additional train capacity, especially on public holidays and long weekends. There is currently no quick solution in sight, as the Uckermark Kurier reports.

For travelers traveling with Deutsche Bahn, information about current construction sites and disruptions is now essential. The DB Regio also offers extensive traffic information, which offers options in both list and calendar view to specifically search for restrictions on certain routes. The DB Navigator app is also recommended for real-time information about departures and arrivals, but Kelly wasn't able to get the most out of it.

A look at the current traffic situation

Deutsche Bahn's infrastructure has been suffering from a renovation backlog for years. According to Statista, punctuality in long-distance and freight transport has fallen to record lows. Even if the number of travelers rose to around 1.8 billion in 2023, it is still below the level of 2019. DB has to face challenges in order to double transport performance by 2030 and reduce emissions.

Important subsidiaries will be sold by 2025 in order to remain internationally competitive. Ticket prices have also increased since 2021, despite the reduction in VAT in 2020. The current problems that Kelly has experienced are symptomatic of the situation in German rail transport and show that there is still a lot of work ahead of us to make railways more attractive for people and improve travel well-being.