photo: Deutsche Bahn AG/Germany Announces Historic Overhaul of Rail Network
At the rail summit held in Frankfurt am Main, the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) in partnership with Deutsche Bahn unveiled a groundbreaking infrastructure program for the nation's rail network and stations, marking the most ambitious since the 1994 rail reform. The project's primary objective is enhancing punctuality and optimizing conditions to realize overarching transport policy goals in both passenger and cargo sectors.
The blueprint of the program centres on various pivotal facets, including:
- A transformative makeover of the intensive-use network, stretching it into a 9,000-kilometer high-performance infrastructure
- Addressing long-standing investment deficiencies and the comprehensive enhancement of the existing rail grid
- Adopting measures to surge capacity through extra crossings, intricate signalling, and switch installations
- Spearheading digital advancements with the nationwide implementation of the European Train Control System (ETCS), promising an uptick of up to 30% in network capacity
- Envisaging strategic route expansions and infrastructural developments to counter bottlenecks
- Launching an expansive rejuvenation initiative for train stations across the nation, ensuring superior traveller amenities
DB AG's CEO, Richard Lutz, expressed gratitude to the federal government for its pledge to allocate additional funds, approximating EUR 45 billion, to realize the vision of this expansive venture. "The enormous construction workload will also be challenging for travellers and freight transport companies. But there is no alternative to tackling the rehabilitation backlog. If all partners in the construction and railway industry pull together with us, this tour de force will succeed," he adds.
Source: Deutsche Bahn
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