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Train chaos in Templin: lack of staff causes cancellations!
NEB trains are canceled due to a lack of staff. Further outages announced on October 15, 2025 in Templin and the surrounding area.
Train chaos in Templin: lack of staff causes cancellations!
Yesterday it was anything but relaxed for many commuters between Berlin and Templin. The Niederbarnimer Eisenbahn (NEB) couldn't exactly put people in a good mood on cold, windy platforms. How Northern Courier reported that at least two trains on the RB12 line were canceled due to an acute shortage of personnel. A short-term failure of a train driver left the passengers stranded on their connections, which certainly didn't exactly create a good atmosphere among the passengers.
A follow-up train arrived after an hour, but the ongoing problems make it clear that the timetable is not only being affected by unforeseen illnesses. A spokesman for the NEB further explained that although there was a reserve for such cases, it was not possible to respond in a timely manner. The upcoming flu wave could further aggravate the situation, meaning that further failures are to be expected in the coming weeks. The NEB announced further problems for today, October 15th: The train from Berlin, which should have arrived in Templin at 7:18 a.m., was canceled. The later train at 7:33 a.m. towards Berlin was also canceled.
Difficult times for Deutsche Bahn
A look at the entire situation at Deutsche Bahn is just as sobering. With Authorities mirror During the conversation, a picture emerged that hardly looks any better: staff shortages and an increasing number of train cancellations are now commonplace. Many signal boxes, which are crucial for planning train journeys, are closed after midnight, resulting in a network of dilapidated tracks and technical obsolescence. Almost 7,000 train cancellations due to a lack of staff were recorded in 2022, and there were already over 3,400 in the first half of 2023.The shortage of skilled workers in the area of signal box operators is a major problem for Deutsche Bahn.
The system is burdened not only by the absence of staff, but also by overwork of the remaining employees. Loud daily news Many dispatchers work up to 55 hours a week and hardly have any free weekends. The high workloads lead to frequent cases of illness, and the pressure on employees continues to grow to organize short-term assignments. Newer signal boxes require fewer staff, but someone still has to be on site at all times, which further complicates the situation.
The look ahead
Deutsche Bahn is aware of the difficulties and has started to combat the challenges. The company has launched a training initiative to address the collapsing skilled labor market. Nevertheless, it will take until the end of 2025 until there are enough dispatchers available. Many positions remain unfilled, especially in southern Germany, while at the same time attempts are being made to quickly fill vacancies in northern Germany.
The situation in the railway industry is tense, and it remains to be hoped that both short-term measures and long-term investments in training and technology will take effect in order to hopefully increase the reliability of the railway again soon.