Bahn: Wie die Bahn besser werden soll - neuer „Infraplan“

Germany's rail network is in need of improvement, with many outdated tracks and punctuality issues leading to a new "Infraplan" being proposed. This plan aims to make the rail infrastructure transparent, trustworthy, and reliable, and is backed by the Federal Ministry of Transport. Specific goals for the next five years have been set, including the Sanization, digitalization, and electrification of tracks, station renovations, noise reduction, and the construction and renovation of rail lines.

The Infraplan is just one piece of a larger plan to improve the rail system, with additional measures expected to follow. However, many questions remain unanswered. The plan is planned to be legally anchored and is expected to be released in a 160-page document. The first phase covers the years 2026 to 2030 and includes measures such as the repair, digitalization, and electrification of tracks, station renovations, noise reduction, and the construction and renovation of rail lines.

The plan includes a system of control indicators with binding targets, such as the number of newly built kilometers of track, electrified track kilometers, quiet track kilometers, and maintenance-related delay minutes. However, no targets have been set for the years 2027 to 2030. The concept of "corridor rehabilitation" is currently under review, with the idea of repairing heavily used tracks in sections rather than continuously.

This approach is expected to make the network more stable and improve punctuality, which was a major issue in September when nearly every second long-distance train by Deutsche Bahn was delayed.

Future steps include creating a "Target Network 2035" and a new "InfraGO Performance Agreement" to improve the financing structure of the infrastructure, with the goal of a "German timetable" that sees a train on every major main line every half hour. The financing structure should be simplified, and over-annual financing secured to increase planning certainty.

The financing of large-scale projects should no longer depend solely on the annual federal budget, which often leads to difficult negotiations due to budget constraints. A railway infrastructure fund is planned, modeled on the one in Switzerland, to provide long-term and over-annual financing for prioritized measures in the Infraplan.

The fund would be funded by contributions from the federal budget, taxes, fees, and contributions from the cantons.