Travel time: almost 25,000 kilometers of ferns with damage

According to government information, almost 25,000 kilometers of lane on German Fernstraßen have damage. As the Federal Ministry of Transport announced on a question from the left, 33 percent of the lane kilometers in need of repair were in need of repair on federal roads – a total of 13,600 kilometers. It was 11,000 kilometers on highways or about 19 percent. On the train, 17,285 kilometers of rails and 1,156 bridges were due for renovation.

The data MEP Dietmar Bartsch asked the data from the Ministry of Transport. The ministry’s response is available to the German Press Agency. It also shows that the number of rail kilometers in need of repair has decreased only a little since 2022: at that time it was 17,585, in 2023 then 17,636. That was 28 to 29 percent of the rail stock. The number of railway bridges of the worst state category 4 has also hardly changed.

In need of renovation, does not always mean completely broken

The ministry did not give a detailed answer to the questions about the development of road condition since 2022. It only referred to the completed modernization measures on 212 bridge sub-structures on motorways in 2024. The ministry pointed out that “in need of renovation” on roads can mean a range: from low measures on the road surface to “fundamental renewal”.

The black and red federal government has decided to massively invest in infrastructure and plan a special fund financed by debts.

Bartsch criticized the state of affairs. “Our traffic routes are often dilapidated, on thousands of kilometers,” said the left-wing politician of the dpa. “Only 212 of around 4,000 bridges were modernized last year. At this snail pace we need almost 20 years – only for the bridges.” The infrastructure is a location disadvantage for companies and a nuisance for the citizens. “The federal government has to act now – speed, speed and pace again,” said Bartsch.