The German “Generalsanierung”, the major rework programme for the country’s railway infrastructure, is of major concern for rail operators. They fear diversions, delays and ultimately a reverse modal shift to road transportation. However, now German seaports are also concerned about their accessibility and are asking for significantly more money in 2025.
In the summer of 2024, Germany got started with a renovation project on the crucial Riedbahn corridor. In the coming five years however, many more rail sections are awaiting overhauls.
German seaport operations are now fearing that they will not be able to maintain their overland accessibility. German publication DVZ highlights the port of Lübeck, a key node for trade with Scandinavia, as a port that is potentially in trouble. In 2027, it may be cut off from the rail network entirely.
More money for ports and land infrastructure
The president of the German association of seaports, Angela Titzrath, wants sufficient capacity on diversion routes and appeals for the closures to be proportional. In order to cope with the ever-increasing track access charges, she wants higher subsidies.
At the time, the association is calling for a 20 per cent increase in funding for the seaports: from 400 million euros to 500 million euros in 2025. A part of that extra investment is supposed to go to public land-based infrastructure. However, the number proposed is also slightly symbolic: it does not matter whether the German federal government spends 400, 450 or 500 million euros on the ports. Ultimately, what matters is that significantly more money will reach the ports than today, the seaports association says.