Following the departure of Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz, Jan van Aken, leader of the Left party, has called for “massive investment” and a legal restructuring of the rail corporation. “Simply replacing the coach won’t solve the problem” van Aken told the Saturday editions of the Funke Media Group newspapers.
“The goal must always be to ensure that all people in Germany can afford to travel by train and get reliably and safely from A to B – whether for work or on vacation”. This, he argued, requires investment in the rail network, which he described as having suffered from years of underfunding. Van Aken also proposed a change in the corporation’s legal structure. “The Bahn must once again become a public-law institution with a non-profit charter. Only then will the railway truly serve the people.
He contrasted this with what he described as annual increases in ticket prices and also criticised the recent removal of free seat reservations for children. “At the same time, rail managers continue to receive bonuses totaling millions” he stated. The 9-Euro ticket, van Aken added, represented a brief positive development.
On Thursday, Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) announced the early termination of Richard Lutz’s tenure as CEO of Deutsche Bahn.