German transport minister hit by train breakdown

Germany's new transport minister, Steffen Bilger, had to change train carriages on Monday after air conditioning failed during a trip from Berlin to Hamburg, a transport ministry spokesman said.

The carriage was closed and passengers had to find seats elsewhere on the train as Germany faced high summer temperatures.

Bilger was named transport minister in a cabinet shuffle last month after Chancellor Friedrich Merz sacked his predecessor over what the source material described as insufficient progress on overhauling Germany's infrastructure.

A central part of Bilger's role is turning around state-owned operator Deutsche Bahn and the wider rail network, which has faced complaints about punctuality, breakdowns and service. Bilger was starting a two-day trip in northern Germany focused on train safety and station cleanliness.

At the weekend, Bilger reportedly announced that bonus payments for Deutsche Bahn managers would be tied to government-set targets, including punctuality.