ulsOn the pulseoku documentary in the second: Deutsche Bahn wants ZDF documentary with Hayali to go offline

The German railway company Deutsche Bahn has taken legal action against the documentary Am Puls mit Dunja Hayali, Unsere Bahn: geliebt, verflucht, gefährlich?, which was aired by public broadcaster ZDF. The dispute centres on factual inaccuracies presented in the film, with Deutsche Bahn alleging that the documentary misrepresented its operations and performance. In response, ZDF has made revisions to two key sections of the programme, though the broader issue of whether the documentary should remain online remains unresolved. Deutsche Bahn announced its half-year financial results on Thursday, revealing a profit of 147 million euros and a total revenue of 13.6 billion euros. Despite these figures, the company continues to carry a debt of 21.6 billion euros and faces ongoing challenges in improving punctuality. The documentary, which premiered earlier this year, depicted the railway network as unreliable and poorly managed, prompting a formal objection from Deutsche Bahn. The company claims that the portrayal was misleading and based on false premises. In its official complaint, Deutsche Bahn accused the documentary of making “after verifiable false factual claims” and omitting “important exonerating facts.” One of the main points of contention was the claim that Deutsche Bahn had no digital signal boxes, known as Stellwerke, in operation. According to the complaint, this was inaccurate. The company stated that it actually operates three such systems and uses more than 20 additional signal boxes that incorporate elements of digital technology. This correction was made after Deutsche Bahn sent a warning letter to ZDF ahead of the documentary’s broadcast. Another point of disagreement concerned the comparison of punctuality rates between Deutsche Bahn and the Belgian rail system. The documentary cited a 92 percent punctuality rate for Belgium, which the company argued referred primarily to regional services rather than long-distance travel. Deutsche Bahn pointed out that its overall punctuality rate for passenger transport stood at 88.7 percent, nearly matching Belgium's figure. However, the documentary focused solely on the 60.1 percent punctuality rate for long-distance trains in Germany, ignoring the higher regional performance. ZDF later revised the language in the documentary to reflect the broader category of passenger transport instead of just long-distance travel. ZDF responded to Deutsche Bahn’s objections by issuing a statement of non-objection, acknowledging the corrections but rejecting further demands for changes. The broadcaster described the company’s request to remove the documentary from online platforms as an attempt to suppress critical reporting. It emphasized that the documentary remained a valid critique of the railway sector and that the modifications were limited to specific factual errors. Deutsche Bahn, however, insists that the documentary contains more than just minor inaccuracies. It alleges that the production deliberately omitted significant information that would have countered the negative portrayal of the company. For example, the documentary failed to mention substantial investments in digital infrastructure, including the renewal of 64 signal boxes in 2025 and plans for over ten billion euros in future modernization projects. These efforts, according to Deutsche Bahn, demonstrate a commitment to technological advancement and improved service quality. The situation highlights the growing tension between media outlets and large corporations regarding the accuracy and fairness of public reporting. While ZDF has made adjustments to the documentary in response to Deutsche Bahn’s concerns, the broader question of whether the programme should remain accessible online remains open. As the debate continues, both parties await further developments in their ongoing dialogue.