Deutsche Bahn demands up to €150bln from planned infrastructure fund for railway upgrades
dpa / Der Spiegel / DVZ
Germany’s railway operator Deutsche Bahn has laid claims to almost one third of the entire 500-billion-euro infrastructure fund planned by the country’s prospective new government, reports newswire dpa. In addition to regular government railway funding, up to 150 billion euros of the fund will be required to modernise and expand Germany’s railway system over the next ten years, according to internal company documents seen by dpa.
Approximately 80 billion euros will be needed by 2034 for essential upgrades, such as refurbishing existing tracks, overhauling key corridors, and laying the groundwork for digitalisation, while the remaining funds would be needed for network expansion and accelerated digital initiatives, according to the report. “There will be major gaps in the financing of infrastructure refurbishment, particularly from 2028,” the document warns.
According to transport sector industry newspaper DVZ, the funds claimed by Deutsche Bahn would be in addition to 140 billion euros from the regular government budget, bringing the total investment sum claimed by the rail group by 2034 to 290 billion euros. The DVZ report said the financing request was also submitted to party negotiators ahead of the coalition talks. Amongst other items, Deutsche Bahn listed investments of 15 billion euros solely for “military mobility”, which would have to be entirely covered by the special fund.
Germany’s likely next government coalition parties have proposed an overhaul of state debt rules to make hundreds of billions of euros available for defence and infrastructure investments. With a proposed special fund dedicated exclusively for infrastructure worth 500 billion euros, the parties aim to fund investments in civil protection, transport, hospitals, energy, education, science, research and development, care, and digitalisation over a period of ten years.
The plans require constitutional changes and therefore a two-thirds majority in parliament. The prospective coalition government, consisting of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance, as well as the Social Democrats (SPD), are currently in negotiations with the Greens - who have threatened to block the proposal - to gather the necessary votes.
