Berlin is seeing an unusual phenomenon: high-speed trains running empty at night because there’s no room for them in the city’s overcrowded depots.
According to Tagesspiegel, five or six Deutsche Bahn (DB) trains traverse the city nightly without passengers. This practice not only increases operational costs but also strains the workforce, as drivers working night shifts cannot cover daytime routes, leading to cancellations.
A Deutsche Bahn spokesperson denied these claims, stating that nighttime train movements without passengers are “a completely normal procedure.” However, the spokesperson acknowledged the depot capacity issue and explained that the trains are relocated to other parking areas at night.
Plans for a new depot in the village of Stahnsdorf near Berlin were scrapped due to local opposition. DB has since identified a new site within Berlin, but the depot is not expected to be operational until 2028.
The situation underscores the challenges DB faces in managing its infrastructure amid increasing demand for high-speed rail services.
