Overview
- The lease for the company’s Potsdamer Platz headquarters in Berlin expires at the end of 2033.
- The mayors of Erfurt and Halle submitted an initiative to host the headquarters, proposing Erfurt’s planned ICE City on a former freight yard and a development site next to Halle’s main station.
- Deutsche Bahn responded that the location question does not arise and stressed its partnership with Berlin, while a spokesperson said no decision has been made about the period after 2033.
- Local officials argue the move would cut costs, leverage strong rail links so not all staff would need to relocate, and offer more affordable housing for employees.
- City leaders plan to seek meetings with company representatives and new CEO Evelyn Palla, framing the bid as a signal for investment in eastern Germany with attention to Saxony-Anhalt’s state election.