A significant shift in the German rail network’s priorities is on the horizon, as Deutsche Bahn’s management has announced a willingness to reschedule planned construction projects to improve punctuality.
According to DB InfraGo’s manager, Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, the company is now focusing on modernizing the most critical and “extremely fault-prone” infrastructure, a departure from the previous strategy. This new approach is a result of the S3 Sanierungsprogramm, launched at the beginning of the year, aimed at revamping the infrastructure, operations and the company’s financial performance.
The Deutsche Bahn’s poor punctuality rates, currently standing at 62% in the long-distance network, have been under scrutiny, with both the company’s board and the government, as well as affected customers, expressing concerns. The company’s goal of achieving at least 65% punctuality in the current year seems increasingly out of reach.
Despite the new prioritization, the company remains committed to its plan to modernize around 40 high-performance corridors in the coming years. However, the process is expected to be challenging, as the infrastructure is more prone to disruptions than initially anticipated and the company must now balance infrastructure renovation and punctuality.
The Federal Auditing Office has, in an unpublished report, urged the Federal Minister of Transport, Patrick Schnieder, to re-examine the concept and the associated costs for the federal budget, which are estimated to be in the billions. The report highlights methodological deficiencies in the economic viability study for the Riedbahn modernization, among other issues.