The planned departure of Philipp Nagl, CEO of DB Infra-GO, the infrastructure division of German rail operator Deutsche Bahn, has been reversed following a statement by Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder. This development has been met with a mixture of relief and criticism within the rail sector.
Kristian Loroch, Deputy Chairman of the EVG rail union and also Deputy Chairman of the Infra-GO Supervisory Board, expressed his satisfaction that Nagl will remain in his position. Loroch emphasized the importance of maintaining stability within the infrastructure division, describing the current state of the rail infrastructure as “completely dilapidated” but noting a “positive trend” beginning to emerge. He argued that removing those responsible for this shift in direction would be a significant error.
Loroch highlighted the strong desire of employees to continue working with Nagl, a sentiment that has been clearly communicated in recent days. He further criticized Minister Schnieder for failing to consult the Supervisory Board before making the initial decision regarding Nagl’s departure, a process he stated is mandated by German law to ensure employee representation.
The initial move to replace Nagl was prompted by the resignation of Dirk Rompf and Loroch welcomed its cessation. He now anticipates that Deutsche Bahn’s parent company will assume its role in formally resolving the leadership situation for Infra-GO through the appropriate governance structures.