Deutsche Bahn has no shortage of problems – the trains don’t run on time, the infrastructure is dilapidated and the financial situation is bleak. A restructuring program is supposed to help.
The board of Deutsche Bahn wants to restructure the struggling company in three key areas over the next three years. According to dpa information, the “S3” restructuring program is currently being discussed by the supervisory board.
According to Deutsche Bahn, the program is aimed at renovating the infrastructure, the operational situation and the economic situation. The company has recently presented a poor picture in all three areas. Two current figures make this clear: Deutsche Bahn AG made a loss of 1.2 billion euros after interest and income taxes in the first half of the year and only 60.6 percent of long-distance trains reached their destination on time in August.
“The railway must be in the black, and not sometime in five or six years, but as quickly as possible,” said Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) on the ZDF morning magazine. He assumes that the supervisory board will approve the restructuring plan. In the future, he wants to be informed every three months about the progress in implementation.
Previous strategy remains a point of reference
According to dpa information, Deutsche Bahn wants to continue to align its restructuring program with the Strong Rail Strategy (DSS), which has been in force since 2019, and roughly achieve the goals set for 2024 three years later. The program also summarizes many points that have already been addressed in recent months.
These include, for example, the general renovation of particularly important routes or the introduction of a new, coordinated construction system designed to better protect the timetable from short-term construction sites.
Punctuality target for 2027: More than 75 percent in long-distance traffic
According to dpa information, a target corridor of 75 to 80 percent is being sought for punctuality in long-distance traffic – after 64 percent for the whole of 2023. The economic situation is to be improved not least with lower personnel costs and higher productivity. In its half-yearly balance sheet, Deutsche Bahn had already announced that it wanted to reduce personnel requirements by 30,000 jobs.
The DB long-distance transport and DB Cargo divisions are to be transformed – some of this has already begun. Both divisions have recently been in the red. Infrastructure-related disruptions are to be reduced to 4,900 per day – for the current year, Deutsche Bahn expects 6,100 such delays per day.
According to critics, the programme lacks concrete measures
The Deutsche Bahn board is now under considerable pressure due to the company’s poor financial performance in recent months. Transport Minister Wissing has recently been increasingly demanding short-term improvements, for example in terms of punctuality and capacity utilization of long-distance traffic.
As the German Press Agency learned from railway circles, the restructuring program presented is also viewed critically. It lacks concrete measures. Ultimately, apart from the target year of 2027, there is nothing in the strategy that has not already been listed on other PowerPoint slides, it was said. Above all, it remains unclear how and where the company intends to reduce personnel requirements by 30,000 jobs.
Newspaper report: Renovation program promises more commuter connections
According to a report in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, railway boss Richard Lutz promises more commuter connections or more sprinters in the 110-page restructuring program. He also wants to redesign the area network. In addition, the turnaround times of trains are to be shortened and fewer ICE trains are to be kept in reserve.
Source: Stern
