Deutsche Bahn is the emblem of the state of German infrastructure. A 62% on-time rate for long-distance trains means: every third ICE arrives late. That is not a statistic. That is daily reality for millions of commuters.
The maintenance backlog stands at 89 billion euros. That is not a number you can visualize. It is a number that means: decades of neglect. Bridges that have to be closed. Signal boxes from the 1960s. Switches that fail in the heat.
The Diagnosis
The problem is not Deutsche Bahn. The problem is the systematic neglect of public infrastructure in favor of short-term budget consolidation. Since the railway reform of 1994, returns have been prioritized over maintenance. What does not shine does not get repaired.
Average annual net investment in rail infrastructure between 2000 and 2020 was 4 billion euros. In Switzerland, a country with a fraction of the rail network, per-capita investment was three times higher.
KIfD's Position
- Immediate doubling of annual investment in rail infrastructure.
- Full digitalization of signal boxes within 10 years — not 30, as currently planned.
- Transparent real-time dashboard for all construction sites, delay causes, and investment flows.
- No IPO. Ever. Public infrastructure is not an investment vehicle.
The railway is the backbone of a country that promises climate neutrality. Those who let the backbone decay should not be surprised when the promise collapses.