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.

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.