More than 90 rail projects across Germany. spanning various stages of planning and including schemes already under construction, are at risk of grinding to a halt because the federal government is not providing sufficient funding. That is the warning from a report by the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), citing the federal government's own response to a parliamentary inquiry from the Greens on the status of new and expanded rail line projects.
Among the projects under threat are those classified as being of outstanding public interest.
The transport industry alliance Allianz pro Schiene responded to the news with sharp criticism. The group is calling on the federal government to course-correct in the 2027 budget and to push forward a long-term infrastructure financing plan, known as the Infraplan, with multi-year funding commitments. "We expect the federal government to honour its promise: that what is ready to be built will actually be built," said Dirk Flege, the alliance's executive director.
The federal government's response to the parliamentary inquiry also reveals that the mid-term investment plan through 2030, covering both ongoing and new rail construction, falls short of the level of investment the government itself has identified as necessary. In other words, Berlin is not meeting its own targets.
Against this backdrop, the Hamburg–Berlin rail line reopened today after months of comprehensive renovation works. However, long-distance Deutsche Bahn trains will run at reduced speeds on certain sections for the first two weeks following the reopening. The reason, according to Deutsche Bahn, is the ongoing acceptance testing of new signalling and interlocking systems, as well as load and commissioning test runs.
Alongside the reopening, Deutsche Bahn is also implementing its minor timetable adjustment on Sunday. Changes relate primarily to services on the Hamburg–Berlin corridor. Sunday also marks the booking launch for the family ticket that Deutsche Bahn had previously announced for the summer holiday period, priced at 99.99 euros. The ticket is valid for travel between 26 June and 14 September and can be booked until 12 September. A single outbound or return journey is priced at 59.99 euros.
Following the completion of the Hamburg–Berlin line renovation, transport policy experts from both the SPD and CDU called on Deutsche Bahn to be more open in future about problems encountered during track renovation works.
"For all the relief at the end of the diversions, we must not gloss over the serious weaknesses of this mammoth project," said SPD transport policy spokesperson Anja Toff-Schaffarzyk in comments to the RND. She added that construction timelines and buffers for critical infrastructure must in future be calculated to be more robust and crisis-resistant. "The scorecard has its dark sides, and we have to name them plainly," she said.
Björn Simon, the CDU/CSU's transport policy spokesperson in the Bundestag, also called on DB management to learn from the delays: "For the upcoming corridor renovations, we need reliable timelines and transparent communication that keeps the promises made to the public."
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