German railway lacks strategy to escape “permanent crisis” – federal auditors
ARD / Clean Energy Wire
Germany’s federal auditors have called on the government to tackle the fundamental problems of the national railway operator Deutsche Bahn “systematically and holistically”, arguing that “ever-increasing financial resources” alone are not a solution to end its “permanent crisis”, reported public broadcaster ARD.
In a report presented to budget lawmakers in the Bundestag, the Court of Auditors said that the railway operator will not be able “to meet transport and climate policy expectations either now or in the foreseeable future,” reported ARD. The Government should tackle the root causes of the crisis and stipulate targets, milestones and deadlines and push the operator to fulfil these, they said.
Deutsche Bahn is in crisis due to a run-down infrastructure, poor punctuality rates and economic problems. The company is currently in the process of modernising crucial routes across the country, and said the process would be further delayed. It is now set to finish by 2036, five years later than originally planned, ARD wrote.
The government is currently deciding how to spend money from the new 500-billion-euro special fund for infrastructure and climate, which was introduced earlier this year through allowing more state debt. Railway spending is set to be a priority. Deutsche Bahn had initially laid claim to almost one third of the entire infrastructure and climate fund.
