Train cancellations, rail replacement services: everyday life on Deutsche Bahn. The number of track construction sites is increasing rapidly. This is also much needed given the many well-worn routes. But the DB Group often seems overwhelmed by this.
About half of Germany’s regional trains are operated by private companies. For example, ODEG operates 16 regional lines with 80 trains around Berlin and Brandenburg, including the RE1 between Frankfurt Oder and Magdeburg. Since Deutsche Bahn (DB) is refurbishing the route, a rail replacement service for 40 kilometers of the route was organized several months in advance.
But this is not the case, as ODEG Managing Director Roland Pauli reports: “In the short term, it turns out that so many other construction sites are planned on other parts of the route that meaningful traffic cannot be achieved there either. .Then almost 80 kilometers were closed and we only had a week to organize the 50 extra buses needed, sign contracts with companies and notify customers.” The commotion among passengers was correspondingly greater. Similar situations occur from time to time across the country.
‘There’s really no sign of acceleration’
The DB itself recently published in its track condition report: The condition of many of Germany’s often outdated routes is worse than in neighboring countries. As a result, private train operators are also welcoming increased construction activity. But they complain that DB is overstretched in terms of personnel and organization. The DB itself said on request: “Construction work is increasing considerably. (…) We regret these cases and are working to further improve our processes.”
Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) recently approved an additional $45 billion to fix old routes – over a three-year period. And that’s where the industry sees a key problem: a lack of people and equipment to build so many facilities so quickly. Not just the DB itself. Which of the track construction companies operating in Germany would buy new staff and new machinery for such a brief blip?
Long-term planning is necessary, such as a multi-decade permanent investment infrastructure fund. The “Rail Acceleration Commission” set up by the Federal Transport Minister a year ago made such a request a few months ago. One of the participants: Tobias Heinemann, president of the MOFAIR passenger rail association. He complained: “Unfortunately, I have to say that the implementation of this accelerated topic is really not interesting.”
New strategies with risks and side effects
Freight train operators are in almost worse shape. Private companies now have a much larger market share than DB itself. During track construction their trains had to make detours, partly on non-electrified routes, for which switching to internal combustion locomotives was time consuming and costly – plus traveling train drivers could no longer legally manage times that could force the use of a second train driver.
Those affected fear that the situation will worsen due to the new database building strategy. In the future, they no longer want to block individual tracks on multitrack routes. But overhaul hundreds of kilometers of mainlines because it’s more efficient. But then the entire detour traffic had to travel for months on routes that weren’t designed for so much traffic. Freight trains then typically stand for hours at individual signals waiting for a gap.
The Association of Freight Railroads therefore demands: If it is clear today that a major corridor will be completely closed within a few years, the DB should widen the detours so that they can also accommodate traffic. It also makes sense in the long run, as refurbished routes also experience frequent disruptions and diversions are necessary – and well-developed alternatives can also accommodate growing traffic in the future. The DB said the diversions would be enhanced through vegetation reduction, rail loops and similar measures. But that has nothing to do with what freight train operators say is a necessity.
Where are the promised reforms?
But why is DB thrifty here? While long-distance traffic and freight trains have been loss-making for years, the network that does not work has generated billions of dollars in profits. After all, train operators pay a premium per kilometer – more than DB spends on the route. Experts have long called for the network to be turned into an independent, not-for-profit, state-owned company.
A similar decision was made in the Traffic Light Alliance agreement. From early 2024, the network will remain part of DB AG, but will be largely independent and without profit transfers. Legislation on this has not yet begun. Is it really a routine hearing of the relevant associations and other affected parties? So far no. The Federal Ministry of Transport announced that the reorganization within the DB was planned without legal measures. It will be implemented as planned before the end of this year.
Neele Wesseln, managing director of NEE, the association of private freight railways, remains skeptical: “Our members handle 60% of German rail freight. However, Minister Wissing has not yet spoken to our members. Instead, he talks to DB representatives almost every week. A planned reorganization. If things continue like this, we can’t imagine a solution that makes sense for us will be implemented there.”