Germany Faces Slow Progress in Reactivating Rail Lines
Efforts to revive over 5,400 kilometers of disused tracks are hindered by bureaucratic and financial challenges.
Overview
- Transportation associations identify 325 rail lines, totaling 5,426 kilometers, as viable for reactivation across Germany.
- In 2024, only about 30 kilometers of rail lines are expected to be reactivated, following zero kilometers in 2023.
- Reactivating these lines could connect approximately 3.8 million people in 380 towns back to the national rail network.
- Financial constraints and lengthy administrative procedures are major barriers to faster reactivation progress.
- The German government has doubled funding to two billion euros for reactivation projects, with calls for further increases to three billion.