So far we were used to the rule that up to the scheduled time it was still possible to jump into the train. From now on, the train will start rolling already, i.e. the doors have to be shut earlier. Something like this we see already in the short-distance transport of a German large city, it is allowed to depart already 30 seconds before scheduled departure time. We do not have to understand this, but it is the way it is. We simply need to know it.
Presumably the delay will be measured as usual. But since every train departs now 30 seconds earlier - as by a wonder - more trains will be below the magic delay limit of 5 minutes and the static punctuality increases. That's how to solve problems !
Did the people in charge at Deutsche Bahn take also in account to check now all crossover times? Are they still sufficient? Is the rule also valid for trips which DB Regio is crossing with regional trains and urban railways in cooperation with the transport associations? For sure, tubes, trams and buses will not take part in this new change of regulation. This means, when a tube is on time and there are 5 mins planned in the timetable for the change of train (standard assumption at many stations) then the passenger has from now on only 4 mins and 30 seconds to change the train. This can become tight.
Automatically, when reading the article, I looked at the date of publication, I expected 1st of April, but it was not an April fool.
More about this you can read here: "Spiegel: Tür zu, Zug weg, aber pünktlicher" ("door closed, train gone, but in time")