Rail: too little money: new construction projects at the train endangered

The railway receives many additional billions for the renovation of the dilapidated existing network – but there is not enough money available for new and expansion projects in the coming years. Now wiggle the projects or do they only come with a long delay? “Of course, we must not lose sight of the legally decided and absolutely necessary new and expansion,” said a spokesman for Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) of the German Press Agency.

With regard to the budget negotiations and financial planning until 2029, he said: “Here we made it clear in the process that there is a need for improvement with a view to the coming budget.” The Association of Früterbahnen called new and expansion projects that increased the capacities “indispensable” for rail freight transport if the politically wanted traffic shift should be achieved.

Ministry hopes for budget negotiations

The Ministry of Transport has so far not been able to prevail in the budget negotiations in the federal government with the demand for additional billions for the new and expansion of routes – the budget drafts 2025 and 2026 and financial planning are now in parliamentary procedures. “As long as the budget is not decided, speculation is unnecessary for individual projects,” said the spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Transport.

The department had intensively campaigned for the adequate financing of all modes of transport when listing households for 2025, 2026 and the special fund. As a result, a large part of the new special fund flows into the transport infrastructure. With a view to the condition of our road and rail network and the waterways, the focus is on renovation.

Bahn puts projects to the test

Deutsche Bahn also emphasizes, in which the new and expansion projects are being tested as a result of the unclear funds. “I can only say – and so all the railways in the world do it – that the preservation and renewal of the existing infrastructure always proceed before new and expansion,” said rail director Richard Lutz at the end of July when the half -year balance sheet was presented.

“This means that when it comes to new and expansion, you have to think about what we will do in the next few years, both in planning and construction activities.” All ongoing projects that are already under construction, or in which the planning is well advanced, would be further implemented, emphasized Lutz.

However, there was no guarantee for the planned new line in Frankfurt-Mannheim. “Of course we will continue to continue the planning and then consider together with the federal government whether we will also go into the construction phase.” This will have to be decided in due course, the railway chief emphasized.

Example: new line Frankfurt-Mannheim

With the new route between Frankfurt and Mannheim, the travel time between the Rhein-Main and Rhein-Neckar conurbations should be significantly shortened-and many more connections should be possible. The project is likely to cost billions. Only: So far, the money has not been planned. In mid-July, the chairman of the traffic committee, Tarek Al-Wazir (Greens), said the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” that the new line was “massively endangered”-despite the 500 billion-dollar assets for the infrastructure.

The new or expansion of routes is central to achieve the goals of the “Germany cycle”. At some point, this is supposed to combine the important main axes of long -term traffic every half -hour rhythm. This should lead to better transfer options and significantly shorter travel times.

The planning of new construction projects often takes many years and is controversial – example: Hamburg -Hannover. The train speaks for a new line and justifies this with the Germany. According to the railway, the previous route is one of the most overloaded routes in Germany. Against a new route there are large reservations in the region and also in politics, because among other things, large -scale interventions in nature and landscape as well as a lot of noise are feared.

Industry emphasizes the importance of new streaks

“The rail network is not only too old, it is too full,” said the Allianz Pro Schiene, Dirk Flege. “For more punctuality, the federal government has to invest more in the existing network and also build new routes.” With a view to the fundamental renovation of existing, highly loaded routes in the coming years, he said: “A modernized rail network remains overloaded without new and expansion.”

In addition to Frankfurt-Mannheim, Flege named the so-called Brennerglauf to Austria as well as the Rhine Valley route towards Switzerland as particularly important projects. “We now quickly need a reliable infrastructure planning, which is firmly planned and reliably financed.”

“Bottle necks block important corridors”

The current network capacity is already not sufficient to absorb growing freight traffic, said the managing director of the freight railways, Neele Wesseln. “Bottle necks block important corridors and reduce reliability. Therefore, the new and expansion must not be played against the preservation, otherwise we will drive through needle tubes in the long run: the network remains too small for demand, and growth takes place on the street.”

Projects that demonstrably remove bottlenecks in the overall system and significantly increased the performance for goods and passenger traffic are particularly important. “This can also be small projects, especially the electrification of existing routes.”