“The railways have problems and they need to improve,” said Werner Gatzer. “The infrastructure is too old, too full and too sensitive to disruptions.” He thinks that “at least” 150 billion euros are needed for investments over the next ten years.
Germany has been struggling with persistent rail delays in recent years. DB has long been urging the German government to make massive investments in the country’s extensive rail network. Last week it was announced that the rail carrier had the worst punctuality figures in decades in 2024 with its long-distance trains.
With a network of approximately 34,000 kilometers, Deutsche Bahn has the largest rail network in Europe.
At the beginning of last year, German transport minister Volker Wissing proposed a fund, in which private investors would also participate, to finance the country’s infrastructure. But the specific details of this have not yet been worked out. Trade associations from German industry have also backed the idea of a fund. Given the far-reaching problems with the German railway, they also think that a long-term financial solution is necessary.
