Making Germany’s trains run on time will take years despite €100 billion upgrade

Germany’s transport minister Patrick Schnieder has presented a long-awaited strategy to improve the sorry state of the country’s railway system, which is beset by delays, a crumbling infrastructure, and economic problems.

“Today, we are pressing the reset button,” Schnieder said. “This is urgently necessary - the railway is in a bad state.”

Almost half of all long-distance trains were delayed in July. Schnieder, a member of chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative CDU, said his ministry would now instruct Deutsche Bahn to ensure that at least 70 percent of long-distance trains are on time by 2029, 80 percent in the medium term, and 90 percent in the long term.

Deutsche Bahn is currently aiming for 70 percent punctuality as early as next year, but Schnieder said this target was unrealistic. He added even the new targets were ambitious, given the scale of pending track renovations.

With the strategy, the government defines targets for the railway company, will provide around 100 billion euros by 2029 and adapt the legal framework to make modernisation possible, said Schnieder. 

The strategy prioritises maintenance and modernisation over new construction, with a special focus on connecting rural areas. By 2030, Deutsche Bahn would modernise 24 of Germany’s most important railway routes, and all 42 of them by 2036. 

Schnieder said many citizens regarded Deutsche Bahn’s problems as a form of state failure, which he called “extremely dangerous.”

The way out of a “permanent crisis”?

Germany’s plans to make its transport sector more climate-friendly involve increasing train use, but the poor performance of the railways makes this a distant prospect. The Court of Auditors recently said that Germany’s railway lacks a strategy to escape its “permanent crisis.”

Earlier this year, chancellor Merz’s government announced a 500 billion euro infrastructure investment package, and Deutsche Bahn requested nearly one third of the funds.

The transport ministry’s “Agenda for satisfied railway customers”, which focussed on organisational changes and improved oversight at Deutsche Bahn, also included emergency programmes to improve security and cleanliness at stations, communication with passengers, and comfort in long-distance trains. Schnieder said that 100 train stations will be renovated per year, adding up to 1,000 refurbishments by 2035.

The strategy still needs cabinet approval, meaning implementation is far from guaranteed, according to media reports.

Focus on client satisfaction is insufficient, Greenpeace says

Greenpeace said improving customer satisfaction was not enough to enable Germany’s transition to a climate-friendly transport system. The environmental NGO called on the transport minister to ensure that rail use increases overall. “Only if more people take the train instead of the car or plane, and more goods are transported by train instead of by truck, can the climate targets for transport be achieved.” Greenpeace criticised the absence of clear railway expansion targets and long-term financing.

Environmental transport association VCD also said a trend reversal will not be possible without expanding the rail network. But the lobby group also welcomed some of the strategy’s targets, and called for rapid implementation. “Enough words have been exchanged; we want to see action!”