The tech start-up "Chuuchuu" has analyzed more than 17.3 million train journeys in Europe for the year 2025. The result: the delays added up to a total waiting time of almost 136 years. Germany's trains are at the bottom of the rankings.
In 2025, Europe's railways were characterized by delays, as an analysis by the tech start-up "Chuuchuu" revealed. The sobering result: the trains accumulated a total of 71.3 million minutes of delay - almost 136 years. Germany accounts for the lion's share of delays, whereas Switzerland shines when it comes to punctuality.
The start-up looked at 17.3 million train connections in 2025, operating in Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland.
In Germany, only 58.5 percent of trains were on time in 2025 - the Federal Republic thus accumulates almost 67 years of total train delays in Europe. In a country comparison, Switzerland came out on top: 97.8 percent of trains arrived here on time. The Swiss railroads also blame many of the few delays on foreign trains, especially from Germany.
Punctuality is particularly critical for night connections. The trains depart from the stations from around 5 p.m. - and seem to increasingly lose sight of their timetables. The reason: sleeping cars share the tracks with freight traffic, and the latter has priority. This is why the ten most unpunctual trains in Europe are all night services.
1st place: Switzerland with 97.8 percent of trains on time, responsible for 1.4 years of total delays in Europe
2nd place: Netherlands with 93.9 percent, 11.4 years
3rd place: Belgium with 88.6 percent, 13.5 years
4th place: Austria with 82.2 percent, 10.4 years
5th place: France with 79.7 percent, 9.5 years
6th place: Italy with 62 percent, 22.7 years
7th place: Germany with 58.5 percent, 66.8 years
July 1, 2025 was particularly problematic: an extreme heatwave meant that only 64.6 percent of all trains ran on schedule and caused delays of up to 18 minutes - at an average temperature of 33 degrees Celsius at the stations. The start-up celebrates December 25, 2024 (which is still included in the 2025 ranking from the old year) as a "Christmas miracle". On that day, almost 88 percent of the trains were on time and they were only delayed by around five minutes on average.
