On 1 January 2024, the former DB Netz and DB Station & Service merged into what is now known as DB InfraGO. At the time, it was hailed as a major turning point in German rail that was supposed to bring improvements for the public good. However, a year into this new arrangement, German rail freight is not getting what it had hoped for.
“For the rail transport companies that depend on the performance of the infrastructure operator – regardless of whether they are Deutsche Bahn (DB) subsidiaries or competitors – things went downhill overall in 2024, even under the new company name”, writes German rail freight association Die Güterbahnen.
A decline in the quality of operations, a lack of customer orientation and a freeze on rail expansion projects are highlighted by the association as major issues at DB InfraGO. They hinder the success of the sector.
Acute deficiencies
Operational quality is under pressure, because there are “acute deficiencies in the staffing of signal boxes and timetable offices”, says Die Güterbahnen. The transport time in rail freight grew further in 2024.
At the same time, rail freight operators have had to accept additional track access charge increases, putting more financial strain on companies already under pressure. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the rail companies found that there is no improvement in the customer orientation of the infrastructure manager during a survey in the summer.
A great overhaul
Yet another point of concern for the rail freight sector is the lack of network expansion. In 2024, a mere 48,2 kilometers of rail was added to the network, says Die Güterbahnen. Admittedly, Germany is working on a great overhaul of the existing network, but many of those projects are “conceptually unclear”, and as such not a substitute for expansion.
The next German government should make changes, argues the association. “DB’s competitors are concerned that the DB Group management is still pushing through its interests internally […] also with the help of the rail infrastructure company, which is obliged to remain neutral”, it says.
The Swiss model
Die Güterbahnen calls for a complete overhaul of the organisational structure of rail management in Germany. “The next federal government must separate the rail infrastructure companies from the DB Group and manage and finance them efficiently following the Swiss model.” Peter Westenberger, the association’s general director, adds: “The institutions and processes surrounding the rail infrastructure urgently need a general overhaul – not just 40 individual railway lines” – referring to the renovation works planned in Germany.