ICE network · Understanding delays
About this app
Explore 623 real ICE trips on a detailed Germany map. Simulate incidents, queue delays and dwell recovery, with timetable comparison and AI tutor control.
How delays spread
On a railway, a delay rarely stays with the train where it started. When trains share a resource such as a track, a platform or a section, the following trains have to wait, and a primary delay turns into knock-on delays. After a disruption ends, the queue takes time to clear because trains can only depart at a minimum headway. Running-time and dwell-time reserves work in the other direction: if a train is scheduled to stand longer than necessary, it can recover minutes at the stop.
What the map shows
The map shows 623 ICE trips from a real timetable day (17 September 2026) on the German rail network. A time slider moves through the day, and trains turn red at six minutes late. You pick a cause and a station: a signal fault blocks departures there, roadworks and storms extend the next section by a percentage, and a train defect hits a single ICE. For each train the app lists planned and simulated times per stop, split into direct disruption, extra waiting and time recovered during dwell.
Model limits
The scenario is hypothetical and runs on a frozen timetable with no live data. Regional and freight trains, connection holding, vehicle rotations, diversions and cancellations are not modelled. Routes on the map are reconstructed from the network, and positions between stops are interpolated in time. The daily summary counts affected trips and trains at least six minutes late at their destination; it says nothing about Deutsche Bahn’s actual punctuality.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between primary and knock-on delays?
- A primary delay is caused directly by a disruption such as a train fault or a blocked line. Knock-on (secondary) delays hit trains that are not disrupted themselves but have to wait for a late train or an occupied resource. In dense networks, knock-on delays can make up a large share of the total.
- When is a German long-distance train counted as late?
- In Deutsche Bahn’s punctuality statistics a stop counts as on time if the train arrives less than six minutes behind schedule. From six minutes on it counts as late. The app uses the same threshold for its red marking and the daily summary.
- How do trains make up lost time?
- Timetables include reserves in running and dwell times. A late train can shorten a generously scheduled stop and recover minutes. After a blockage, queued trains can only leave at a minimum headway, so clearing the backlog takes longer than the disruption itself.
- Does the app show live Deutsche Bahn delays?
- No. It uses one fixed timetable day with real scheduled times and simulates disruptions you choose on top of it. It is neither a journey planner nor an operational forecast. An AI tutor can guide you through the scenarios.
Subject: Logistics & Supply Chain
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