en.Wedoany.com Reported - Deutsche Bahn's revenue grew 1.8% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, reaching €13.6 billion; adjusted EBIT increased by more than €650 million year-on-year to €415 million. The core railway business posted a net profit of €147 million, compared with a loss of €760 million in the first half of 2025. Improved operational performance and earlier cost reductions jointly drove the recovery of Germany's state-owned railway group.

Under the DB 2035 strategy adopted in June, Deutsche Bahn plans to streamline into a smaller, more decentralized organization, focusing on reliability, service quality, and financial sustainability. The group's central administration and internal service departments have already initiated initial cost-saving and staff reduction measures. The company said approximately 30% of the planned job cuts at the group headquarters by 2028 have already been completed.

"We have reached an important milestone, but I will only be satisfied when the quality of day-to-day rail operations is convincing," said Evelyn Palla, CEO of Deutsche Bahn.

On the investment side, total group investment grew 18% in the first half to a record €8.7 billion, with the largest share going toward German railway infrastructure renewal. Net investment from own funds grew 89% to €3.4 billion; higher spending increased net financial debt by approximately €1 billion compared with the start of the year, reaching €21.6 billion at the end of June.

DB InfraGO completed approximately 14,000 of the 28,000 planned construction projects for 2026 in the first half of the year. The full renovation of the Hamburg–Berlin corridor has been completed, and the Hagen–Wuppertal–Cologne and Hamburg–Hanover lines are scheduled to reopen in July; work between Nuremberg and Regensburg was completed later than originally planned. Further corridor renewal work has already begun, including on the right bank of the Rhine route between Troisdorf and Wiesbaden.

DB InfraGO recorded an adjusted operating loss of €66 million in the first half, with traffic volume on the infrastructure network down 1% year-on-year due to construction restrictions.

In freight operations, DB Cargo's transport volumes and revenue continued to decline due to weak demand from the steel, chemical, and automotive industries; its adjusted operating result improved by €96 million compared with the first half of 2025, with a reported loss of only €1 million, close to operating breakeven. The company continues to implement its restructuring plan, including measures required by the European Commission's state aid decision. The company cautioned that recovery still faces risks from weak industrial activity and unstable railway infrastructure, and that restructuring success partly depends on securing sufficient funding for the loss-making single-wagon transport network.

In passenger transport, more than 960 million passengers traveled on Deutsche Bahn trains in the first half of 2026, an increase of approximately 17 million year-on-year, or 1.8%. Across all DB passenger services, 87.5% of trains arrived less than six minutes late; the long-distance punctuality rate was 59%, with 76% of long-distance trains arriving within 15 minutes of schedule; DB Regio's punctuality rate was 88.2%. The company attributes this to the record number of construction sites, winter weather in January and February, and high temperatures in June. The group is also implementing three short-term programs worth approximately €150 million in total, covering station cleanliness and safety, onboard comfort, and passenger information.

Long-distance passenger subsidiary DB Fernverkehr recorded adjusted EBIT of €148 million, compared with a loss of €59 million in the first half of 2025. Revenue and operating results improved particularly in the second quarter, despite construction reducing overall transport performance. Ticket sales have increased since April, with approximately 600,000 passengers using last-minute offers, more than 200,000 people traveling on the new family fare, and over 50,000 free youth BahnCards issued. DB Regio posted adjusted EBIT of €89 million, with revenue growing 4%; demand on commuter routes increased, which the company partly attributes to rising fuel prices prompting passengers to switch from cars to trains.

For the full year, Deutsche Bahn maintains its forecast of revenue of approximately €28 billion and adjusted EBIT of approximately €600 million, and expects to report a positive net profit, although DB Cargo's economic performance remains a major risk.