German transport minister ties Deutsche Bahn bonuses to punctuality targets

Steffen Bilger, Germany’s new transport minister, said he would tie Deutsche Bahn managers’ bonus payments to meeting federal punctuality targets, citing “completely inadequate” on-time performance. In an interview with *Bild am Sonntag*, Bilger stated that bonuses would be directly affected if the state-owned rail operator fails to meet agreed-upon goals, with a current target of 70% punctuality in long-distance services by 2029 .
The minister acknowledged that 100% punctuality is “not foreseeable in the near future,” noting that only about 60% of long-distance trains were on time in the first half of 2026, with figures dropping further during the summer months . Bilger, a member of the center-right CDU, replaced Patrick Schnieder in the role at the end of July following a cabinet reshuffle .
The proposal comes as the federal government negotiates a new financing agreement with Deutsche Bahn, under which infrastructure funds would be linked to performance benchmarks. Bilger emphasized that while many Bahn employees perform well, taxpayers and passengers have a right to expect bonuses to reflect success .
Reuters first reported on Aug. 8 that Bilger intended to condition executive pay on operational improvements, framing the move as part of broader pressure on the rail operator’s leadership . German media, including *Die Welt* and *Süddeutsche Zeitung*, subsequently confirmed the minister’s plans, with Bilger reiterating his demand for “tangible improvements” in service reliability .
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