Sigmar Gabriel on the train : On the German-French friendship is leaving

What were the days, when the German Federal railroad advertised with the Slogan: "Everyone is talking about the weather. We don't.“ In the steam engine era, at least punctuality was a pure matter of course for the transport on Germany's rails. Today, you will notice the difference between strike and normal operation, as a customer of the railway. Should it, however, that the DB AG is driving at least 70 percent are still on time, I have probably every day, the bad luck - and not to include more times - 30 percent, where it works.

luckily, there are still the German-French friendship! Still works, even on German rails. Last Sunday I wanted to drive from Hannover to Essen. Because this is currently a valiant, drove I prefer to train earlier, because you never know... But even that didn't help, because in Hamm first. Only we arrived too late, then the train was gone, then he came, however, with delay, but on the wrong, to drive however, but then, because you wanted to leave a Ersatzzug drive. As the drove, there was a Chance in a different regional switch, the just - too late - in the direction of the food collection. But the relentless driver of the delayed, diverted, exchanged, and re-train which was delayed, said reassuringly: don't worry, it is the same. She said and looked in wonder on the in front of him in the direction of eat a departing regional train that would, in his opinion, however, according to him - too late - the train station Hamm.

In the second of the Thalys Express rolled to Paris in Hamm. The apparently not-so-safe drivers in my region Alex presses said I should try it but maybe with this train. So get out and about the platform for the Thalys, whose company is in Belgium, but a joint subsidiary of the French and Belgian state Railways (!) and on the technology of the French TGV is based.

Unbelievable: on Time, hot coffee, warm compartment

The friendly French conductor explained to me in perfect English, "will, of course," eat on time and I was invited zuzusteigen - if I had a Ticket, because the ticket of the Deutsche Bahn AG is not valid in the Thalys, unfortunately. That was me now in the light of experience of the day, no matter. But then, the final proof of the sincerity and depth of the German-French friendship: Normally, the friendly Frenchman - the cost of the Ticket between Hamm and Essen 45 € (a steep price considering the short distance). Because I need to but endure so much delay and also have a valid DB ticket would have, he would take me for 20 euros!

Unbelievable: on Time, with hot coffee and well-heated compartment and a discount! In the DB You can be happy if You get for the opposite of a discount. Note: the French is reliable in times of crisis. We should consider whether we don't sell the Railways of the shares in the railway to the state of France and of Belgium. Or simply back out of the Bahn AG, the good old German state railway, because apparently, the privatisation mania in the train laid for years on a lot of value - just not to people on time and in comfort from A to B.

top meeting with the Minister of transport package for more punctuality

Without the AG, without Squinting on the capital market and without the whopping 1.000 national and international companies in which DB AG is involved: That would be a' railway reform. says Even with steam locomotives - climate-friendly biomass, of course.