Germany's rail operator ends signaler shortages after years of delays

Germany's state-owned rail operator has resolved long-standing staff shortages in its signal boxes. Since the start of 2026, the company has maintained full staffing levels nationwide. This follows years of delays and cancellations caused by a lack of trained signalers. For years, persistent shortages of signalers in control centres led to widespread disruptions on German railways. Private rail operators and industry groups repeatedly criticised the situation, which resulted in fines from the Federal Network Agency.

To address the problem, DB InfraGO—Deutsche Bahn's infrastructure division—launched a major recruitment drive. By December 2025, the company had hired and trained around 2,200 new signal box operators. This represented a ten percent increase compared to the previous year.

The Federal Network Agency has since noted clear improvements. While isolated bottlenecks may still arise, the overall staffing situation is now stable. As a result, the agency has stopped threatening further penalties for understaffing.

The rail operator now plans to keep attracting skilled workers. At the same time, it is speeding up the modernisation of signalling and control technology to prevent future shortages. Deutsche Bahn has successfully filled its signal box staffing gaps after years of disruption. With 2,200 new recruits and full nationwide coverage, service reliability has improved. The company will continue investing in both workforce expansion and technological upgrades.