Overview

• Deutsche Bahn's board is requesting an additional €148 billion from a special fund over 12 years, on top of €142 billion already pledged by the government.
• The Riedbahn renovation, costing €1.5 billion, has reduced disruptions but failed to fully resolve delays due to network congestion and insufficient tracks.
• Germany's rail network faces a maintenance backlog of €92.3 billion, a result of decades of underinvestment.
• Governance hurdles persist as DB InfraGO operates under the railway board rather than direct government oversight, complicating strategic decision-making.
• Experts warn that launching numerous large-scale projects simultaneously could inflate construction costs due to limited industry capacity.