Following the departure of Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz, both the CDU/CSU and Green parties are outlining priorities for the railway’s future, with a renewed focus on passenger experience.
Sebastian Steineke, consumer protection spokesperson for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, suggested reinstating family seat reservations as an immediate signal of change. He emphasized the need for leadership consistently prioritizing the passenger perspective, targeting improvements in punctuality, service quality and price stability. Steineke described current rail travel as increasingly unpredictable, highlighting frequent delays and cancellations. He called for streamlined and digitally-enhanced compensation processes for disrupted passengers, suggesting a potential reduction in the delay threshold for compensation from 60 to 30 minutes to demonstrate accountability. He also advocated for independent quality control audits to supplement existing oversight mechanisms, arguing that state funding should be contingent on performance.
Matthias Gastel, transport policy spokesperson for the Green party, echoed the call for a greater passenger focus. He stressed the need for better coordination of construction and maintenance work to minimize disruption during necessary upgrades. Gastel also called for improved communication with passengers regarding schedule deviations, ensuring timely and accurate information dissemination. Both parties appear aligned on the necessity for Deutsche Bahn to prioritize reliable service and passenger satisfaction as it moves forward.