Bundestag: Minister Bilger hat klare Erwartungen an die Bahn

Bundesverkehrsminister Steffen Bilger has expressed clear expectations for Deutsche Bahn, the German railway company, in light of billions of euros of tax money. Speaking during the Bundestag's budget deliberations, Bilger emphasized that the railway system must become progressively more stable, modern, attractive, and reliable.

"Therefore, we are allocating unprecedented funds to the railway company. In return, we expect some clear improvements for customers: greater punctuality, better operations, and fewer disruptions," he stated. Bilger also stressed that these improvements must be reflected in the bonuses given to Bahn managers. "Those who meet the targets will be rewarded.

Those who fail to meet them will not. That is my clear expectation, and I am sure it is shared by the Bahn customers and taxpayers." Bilger succeeded Patrick Schnieder, the former minister, in July. Schnieder was dismissed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). Bilger commented on the concept of "corridor modernizations" for the state-owned railway.

"If we close a line for months at a time, causing inconvenience to commuters and freight traffic, then after that, it must function significantly better," he said. "The implementation of this corridor modernization needs to improve considerably. That is what we are working on now, in collaboration with the railway company." Bahn CEO Evelyn Palla had already announced that the modernization concept would be reviewed.

Initial milestones have been announced. The large-scale modernizations are expected to be completed by 2036, covering over 40 heavily used railway lines. For this purpose, the sections will generally be completely closed for half a year. This should gradually increase the reliability of the lines and the entire network, making railway travel more reliable and punctual.

However, some significant problems have been repeatedly reported during the modernizations. Bilger announced that legislation for future funding of highways would be decided in the fall. The state-owned Highways GmbH will be able to issue loans in the future, thereby expanding its financial leeway. Bilger spoke of favorable prospects for many important highway projects, and private capital would also be utilized.

The Green politician Tarek Al-Wazir criticized the budget plans. Despite record debts, there was not enough money for investments in the transport infrastructure. There was far too little money for expansion or new projects of the railway. The Greens have repeatedly criticized that, instead of additional investments in the special fund, the money would be used to plug holes in the core budget and finance election promises such as an expansion of the maternity allowance.