Overview

• Germany’s Transport Ministry told states that up to €15 billion will be missing over the next four years for federal trunk-road construction.
• The gap leaves eight planning-ready projects in Saxony and, in NRW, 29 autobahn expansions and 11 federal-road schemes currently outside the federal finance plan.
• Chancellor Friedrich Merz endorsed maintenance before new build but insisted some new projects must proceed from the Sondervermögen, with greater flexibility under discussion.
• Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder faces a structural shortfall despite more than €21 billion from the fund, as core budget cuts leave about €20 billion missing by 2029; the Finance Ministry cites €166 billion for transport this term and urges an acceleration law.
• Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern agreed to hourly Berlin–Stralsund regional service from the next timetable and pressed for faster rail links to Poland, while Brandenburg’s Dietmar Woidke called for roughly 20% of discretionary fund money for the East.