Germany’s rail network is down – and not just because of maintenance responsibilities. Through legal reform, Transport Secretary Withing now wants to give the federal government more leeway to invest.
The German railway network is in poor condition: not only is it heavily used, but it is also dilapidated in places. To offset worn out railway lines and the resulting out-of-time trains, Federal Transport Minister Volkwiessing (FDP) now wants to boost federal investment in Germany’s rail network.
Specifically, the government should be given more leeway in financing rail infrastructure. The Federal Cabinet has now launched a corresponding draft amendment to the Federal Railway Expansion Act, which aims to provide greater freedom of action for state investment.
more financial freedom Thanks law change
According to the Federal Ministry of Transport, the previous legal form is increasingly proving to be a hindrance. The applicable rule was: “Maintenance is the business of the railroads, but new construction is the business of the federal government.” Wissing explained that this created an incentive to ignore sections of the route until they were completely rebuilt by the federal government. The network must now be “restored to its original state as soon as possible so that rail can finally fulfill its role as a climate-friendly mode of transport”.
Due to changes in the law, investment and expansion measures will be implemented in a faster, more optimized and bundled manner in the future. In the future, the federal government could cover the cost of maintenance and repairs — not just the cost of construction projects, as is currently the case. A spokesman for Wissing said this would soon have a noticeable impact on passengers.
The new form of financing also allows for a comprehensive overhaul of particularly busy routes, such as the so-called high-speed corridor between Mannheim and Frankfurt. In 2024, the entire line will be repaired in one go there. The federal government also pays the bill where the railroads are actually responsible.
“First step in promised rail reform”
Dirk Flege, managing director of the Pro-Rail Alliance, welcomed the changes that had been initiated: “Changing the law is the first step in a promised rail reform. Until now, the federal government’s financing responsibilities have been relegated to the fringes.”
Federal funding can now also be used for train station waiting rooms or monument preservation. “These improvements will affect people for years to come. The pressure on Deutsche Bahn to sell ‘unprofitable’ station buildings has finally eased,” explains Flege.
Criticism of Traffic Light Partners
The planned changes are closely related to the planned establishment of an infrastructure department within Deutsche Bahn for the public good. On January 1, 2024, DB Netz AG and DB Station und Service AG will merge. Revenue from the new company should benefit infrastructure.
Detlef Müller, deputy to the SPD’s parliamentary group, was not enough: “How the ministry wants to set up the financing and decision-making structures of society so that the expansion and rehabilitation of the railway network ultimately pays off, there is still no clear momentum.”
Green rail politician Matthias Gastel is also pushing for more comprehensive reforms: “Wissing’s proposals may fall far short of central reform goals.”