Gabriel Kelly's 13-hour railway death: a record of horror!

Gabriel Kelly's 13-hour railway death: a record of horror!

Gabriel Kelly, known from the TV show "Let’s Dance", recently started a trip home, which would have become a nightmare for most people. His 13-hour trip from Hamburg to Greifswald with Deutsche Bahn set a new record in terms of travel might. Kelly started his journey at 12 noon and only reached his destination at 1 a.m. Usually he only needs two and a half hours for this route by car - a significant difference, which was primarily due to the numerous train cancellations that made his journey into a test of patience. This was also explained by the Uckermark Kurier, in which Kelly commented on the arduous return trip.

A announced direct train turned out to be a replacement of the rails, which also extended the trip by more than two hours. Kelly, environmentally conscious and with the good resolution of using the train, had decided against the convenience of your own vehicle. He described the 13 hours as "not tasty" and would like to avoid this experience in the future.

train journey in summer: a challenge

Especially in the summer months, it is often tight on the railway lines. The situation is exacerbated by the continuing train failures between Berlin and Hamburg to the Baltic Sea, which challenges many passengers. In the past few weeks, numerous travelers have remained on the platforms because the trains were overcrowded. This was also confirmed by Jutta Wegner, the Greens' traffic policy spokeswoman in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. It criticized the state government sharply for the insufficient additional train capacities, especially on public holidays and long weekends. A quick solution is currently not in sight, as reported by the Uckermark Kurier.

For travelers who go on trips with Deutsche Bahn, information about current construction sites and disorders is now essential. The DB Regio also offers an extensive transport information that offers opportunities both in list and calendar views, specifically for restrictions on certain routes. The DB Navigator app is also recommended to get real-time information on the descents and arrivals, but Kelly was not able to benefit from it.

A look at the current traffic situation

The infrastructure of Deutsche Bahn has been suffering from a renovation backlog for years. According to Statista, punctuality in distant and freight traffic has dropped to record depths. Even if the number of travelers rose to around 1.8 billion in 2023, it is still below the level of 2019. The DB has to face challenges to double the traffic performance by 2030 and reduce emissions.

by 2025 important subsidiaries will be sold to remain internationally competitive. Ticket prices have also risen since 2021, despite the reduction in VAT in 2020. The current problems that Kelly had to experience are symptomatic of the situation in German rail traffic and show that there is still a lot of work ahead of us to make trains more attractive and to improve travel.