2 weeks Ago By Nico Patella
Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, the country’s train operator, said the company needs €150 billion to move forward with the modernization of its network. After the general election, Germany’s new coalition government — made up by the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) — has made infrastructure a priority, setting up a fund of €500 billion. The new German government, headed by soon to be chancellor Friedrich Merz , also passed a debt brake reform in order to borrow more money to invest in this area.
Deutsche Bahn operates the vast majority of long-distance (ICE) and regional train services (RE) across the country, serving millions of passengers each week. Most Read on Euro Weekly News Three cities expats ranked as cheapest in Spain What do you think would happen if you did this in Spain? Burger King, GAP, and many other retailers in lawsuit over toxic receipts DB’s CEO, Richard Lutz, has said that more money is needed in order to fix the service’s existing railroad network. Additionally, according to the company, €80 billion would be needed for refurbishments and repairs.
The company recorded a net financial debt of about €32.6 billion in 2024. Infrastructure and transportation were key components of the last election, as Germany faces the threat of an aging infrastructure.
Deutsche Bahn, once regarded as a symbol of punctuality and efficiency, has seen its reputation suffer from frequent delays and cancellations. Much of the network’s infrastructure — including tracks, stations and signalling systems — dates back several decades. DB released data stating that only six in every ten trains made it to its destination within six minutes of the scheduled arrival time.
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