“The railway has problems”
Railway supervisory board chairman: 150 billion for infrastructure
January 9, 2025 – 1:47 p.mReading time: 1 min.
The head of the supervisory board of Deutsche Bahn is calling for an infrastructure fund of 150 billion euros for the ailing rail network. Wissing and industry associations support the idea.
For the long-term financing of the ailing rail network in Germany, the head of the supervisory board of Deutsche Bahn, Werner Gatzer, believes an infrastructure fund with around 150 billion euros is necessary. “The railway has problems and it has to get better. The infrastructure is too old, too full and too prone to failure,” he told “Focus”. “I think at least 150 billion for investments in infrastructure are necessary over the next ten years.”
The debt that the federal government would have to take on is manageable given the falling debt ratio. In addition, “the conditions must be created so that we can invest more quickly.”
At the beginning of last year, Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (independent) brought an infrastructure fund into play to finance infrastructure in Germany. Private investors should also participate in this. However, the specific design has so far remained open.
Industry associations also believe that a fund solution makes sense. In view of the profound problems with the railway infrastructure, they believe that a long-term financial solution is needed that offers the industry security in order to build up capacity and reduce construction costs.
