Deutsche Bahn Breaks a 190-Year Delay with Evelyn Palla at the Helm as the First Female CEO

Deutsche Bahn turns a page in history with the appointment of Evelyn Palla as its first female CEO. Her mandate begins amid secrecy, controversy, and soaring expectations for a long-delayed rail revival.

On Monday, 22 September, Evelyn Palla (52) was formally introduced as the new CEO of Deutsche Bahn (DB) at a press conference in Berlin. Palla, until now the head of DB’s regional passenger subsidiary DB Regio, is the first woman in Deutsche Bahn’s 190-year history to assume the top post. She was chosen from a shortlist of around 50 candidates, including several high-profile names.

Evelyn Palla, nouvelle cheffe de la DB, en une du TAZ dans sur la Der Adler (1ère locomotive🇩🇪) avec en titre : « Encore un gros retard des chemins de fer », référence aux 190 ans avant qu’une femme dirige les chemins de fer allemands et aux nombreux retards des trains de la DB. pic.twitter.com/yPrDYtNZTf

— Guillaume Rouffet 🇫🇷🇩🇪🇦🇹 (@GRouffet) September 22, 2025

Focus on Rail Transport

Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) opened the press conference by declaring that Germany had pressed the button for a "railway restart." Palla added that Deutsche Bahn would now refocus on its core mission: rail transport.

While government sources had already confirmed her appointment to the German press over the weekend, the new development strategy for Deutsche Bahn remains shrouded in secrecy. Although it has been under discussion for weeks, there is widespread frustration that the minister has kept the drafting process confined to a narrow circle, excluding many stakeholders. Dirk Flege, director of the influential Allianz pro Schiene (Alliance for Rail), told the media that the project is "absolutely secret — nobody I know has seen a single document." He warned that acceptance will not be easy, particularly since trade unions active in the alliance are directly affected by any new strategy.

Opposition Criticism and Secrecy

The opposition is also dissatisfied. Green Party rail expert Matthias Gastel criticised the lack of inclusion: "A genuine strategy for Deutsche Bahn and the entire sector needs a broad foundation, otherwise each new government will reject and reinvent it."

In an interview with ARD, Minister Schnieder admitted that the general direction of the strategy could easily be imagined, given DB’s condition. "Once it is announced, there will be plenty of room for debate, especially due to the legislative changes required by individual measures. A parliamentary discussion lies ahead," he said. The only detail disclosed so far is the strategy’s name, Agenda for Satisfied Rail Customers. Its goal is to achieve a reliable, punctual, clean, safe, and economically efficient railway.

According to commentators, Schnieder is keeping the strategy under wraps to protect it from being derailed by the highly sensitive and unionised industry before its publication. Palla is reportedly one of the few insiders involved in the drafting process.

Both Schnieder and Palla also hinted at how they will address DB’s punctuality crisis, which has drawn heavy criticism domestically and abroad. DB has postponed its target for long-distance punctuality until 2029, when at least 70 percent of services are expected to arrive on time. "Infrastructure renewal is not a sprint. It is a marathon," Palla remarked, stressing the need for modernisation.

Deutsche Bahn’s Current Performance

In August 2025, 88.4 percent of all DB passenger trains ran on time (with delays of up to six minutes still counted as punctual). However, only 59.6 percent of long-distance trains were punctual, compared with 89.2 percent in regional and suburban services.

According to Wirtschaftswoche, the forthcoming strategy is unlikely to bring major innovations, calling it "old plans in a new format." Yet, the magazine noted that Palla may still succeed: "Fifty percent of management success is psychology. If she can change the mood within the company, she may be able to push through broader reforms."

Who is Evelyn Palla?

Born in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy, and educated in economics in Vienna, Palla built her career in audit and financial management. She began at Siemens UK in 1997 before moving to Infineon in Munich, and later worked at E.ON until 2011. She then joined ÖBB (Austrian Federal Railways), where she led the successful Postbus division before moving to DB in 2019.

At Deutsche Bahn, she first became CFO of DB Fernverkehr and later took over DB Regio in 2022. Palla will also be the only current DB board member qualified to drive a train. "I wanted to know what it feels like to sit in the driver’s cab and understand the work our staff perform every day," she told the Schwäbische Zeitung last year.