Marodes rail network: Court of Auditors criticizes the renovation concept of railway lines

The Federal Audit Office criticizes the concept of Deutsche Bahn for the general renovation of highly stressed routes. It is currently not sustainable, according to a report on the Bundestag’s budget committee. This is available to the German Press Agency. The Court of Auditors was missing important budgetary basics. The Federal Ministry of Transport must critically examine the concept and the associated burdens for the federal budget at a billion dollar height.

The railway has initiated the so -called general renovation under the old federal government. By the beginning of the 2030s, more than 40 important rail corridors are to be extensively modernized. Tasks should be done bundled, the routes are completely blocked.

After that, no major construction work should be required for several years. The Riedbahn between Frankfurt and Mannheim started last year. From August 2025 to April 2026, the route between Berlin and Hamburg is to be completely blocked and completely renovated. The federal government gives many billions for the general renovation.

Court of Auditors: Settlements of the Ministry

With regard to significantly increased costs, the Federal Audit Office also complains that the Ministry of Transport had failed to request a proper success of success to general renovation of the Riedbahn from Deutsche Bahn. The chance of using the knowledge obtained (“Lessons Learned”) has gained.

“Comprehensive and well -founded findings are essential for future general renovations,” it said. The ministry must make the use of federal funds dependent on the fact that the railway has a resilience and success in the profit of its procedure.

The ministry has misunderstood the effects of paradigm shift towards the general renovation, criticizes the Federal Audit Office. “The prices for construction work to date have multiplied within a very short time.” In addition, bottlenecks for specialists and equipment have arisen. As a result, other rail projects inevitably delayed themselves.

The examiners complain that the railway should only have started further general renovations after a success check to the Riedbahn. “In view of the considerable investments in multi -digit billions, this is a serious failure.” After the Riedbahn, the renovation of other routes also threatens to become significantly more expensive.

The Federal Audit Office recommends the budget committee as long as there are no further federal remedies for general renovations until the Ministry of Transport has undoubtedly demonstrated that they are “necessary and economical”. The Ministry rejected allegations of the Auditors’ Court of success, among other things, to check success.