Germany’s state-owned railway operator Deutsche Bahn has announced it needs around €150 billion ($170.5 billion) to overhaul and modernize its rail infrastructure over the next decade. The funding will cover restructuring, expanding capacity, and digitalizing the network to improve punctuality, safety, and environmental sustainability.
The ambitious plan includes refurbishing key corridors, upgrading 1,500 kilometers of rail lines by 2027, replacing outdated signaling and control systems, and modernizing hundreds of stations annually. A major project underway is the renewal of the heavily used Riedbahn corridor between Frankfurt and Mannheim, involving track renewal, new crossovers to increase capacity, and station enhancements.
Deutsche Bahn aims to reduce infrastructure-related delays by 20%, improve long-distance train punctuality to 75-80%, and achieve a positive operating result by 2027. The modernization will also support Germany’s climate goals by promoting rail as a greener transport alternative.
In addition to government funding, Deutsche Bahn has signed long-term contracts with industry leaders like Alstom and Siemens to supply advanced digital signaling and safety technology, crucial for the network’s digital transformation.
The requested €150 billion is part of a broader €500 billion infrastructure fund proposed by Germany’s prospective coalition government to boost transport, energy, education, and digital infrastructure. However, the plan requires constitutional changes and faces political negotiations before approval.
Deutsche Bahn’s CEO Richard Lutz emphasized that the investment is essential to meet future mobility demands and ensure the railway remains a backbone of Germany’s transport system for decades to come.
