Chaos on the Munich-Rosenheim route: Commuters despair because of delays!

Chaos on the Munich-Rosenheim route: Commuters despair because of delays!

Commuters' concerns are increasing. Train operations on the important railway line between Munich and Rosenheim are affected by massive disruptions, making the daily journey a test of patience for many. Commuters from Aßling and Grafing train station constantly have to be prepared for delays. This was explained by Arnulf Schuchmann, the head of the Bavarian Regiobahn (BRB). He even warns of an impending collapse in train operations due to multiple construction sites and difficulties in passing on information by Deutsche Bahn. Schuchmann criticized the fact that the construction company DB InfraGo failed to provide the necessary information in a timely manner, which made planning for the BRB significantly more difficult. The BRB is currently forced to create its timetables only with estimated traffic times, which severely affects reliability. According to the BRB, the rail network is in a worrying condition: old, overloaded and prone to disruption. The rail infrastructure seems to be on the brink, but the railway at least shows that the deterioration of the network has been stopped, even if the number of construction sites remains high.

Deutsche Bahn has recognized the problem and is trying to pass on information to affected companies and passengers in a timely manner, even if this is not always successful. A fundamental renovation of the Munich-Rosenheim route is planned by 2028, but will probably take several months and involve a complete closure. For 2026, over four billion euros are earmarked for the Bavarian rail infrastructure in order to improve the ailing situation in the long term. This is in line with Deutsche Bahn's general plans to renovate the dilapidated infrastructure. However, these renovations are expected to take longer than originally expected. Among other things, the renovation of other important routes such as the Nuremberg-Regensburg and Rosenheim-Salzburg routes is planned for 2026 and 2027.

Step by step for improvement

Deutsche Bahn has recognized that a fundamental renewal of the main routes is absolutely necessary for the future. Modernization initiatives are in full swing. Examples include the already completed renovation of the Riedbahn and the planned closure of the route between Berlin and Hamburg from August 2025 to April 2026 for comprehensive renovation work. The federal government is investing billions of dollars in general renovations to improve train punctuality.

Another program that was launched in 2023 is “SB² – Building in Time”. The aim here is to keep rail operations stable despite necessary construction work. In this way, maintenance and investment measures should be better harmonized. Deutsche Bahn wants to introduce a more plannable system with standardized blocking times, which are referred to as “containers”. From July 2024, this maintenance work will be carried out every four weeks in order to minimize disruptions to train operations.

It remains to be seen whether the extensive investments in the rail infrastructure and the new structural measures by Deutsche Bahn will bring about the desired stabilization of rail operations, while commuters have to persist with the current problems. The coming years will be crucial for the future of rail transport in Bavaria.