Deutsche Bahn (DB) plans to invest 20 billion euros in the renovation of train stations over the next five years. "Train stations are particularly close to our hearts. They are a calling card, not only for us, but also for the cities and municipalities," DB CEO Evelyn Palla told the Funke Media Group newspapers on Saturday. "We clearly have some catching up to do there."
This year, "more than 1,000 stations across the republic" are to be modernized for four billion euros, Palla explained. Over the next five years, it will amount to more than 20 billion euros in investments.
In addition, DB has expanded its program for the complete redesign of entire stations from 500 to 710. "130 will be tackled this year already," Palla announced.
On top of that, there will be "another 50 million euros for more security and cleanliness at the stations." This emergency program was launched in January. An emergency program for better passenger information will also begin "soon," Palla told the Funke newspapers.
Mid-year, the railway will announce when Stuttgart's main station will go into operation, Palla confirmed earlier statements. "We are currently reviewing the project, the organization and the capacities," she said. Work on the Stuttgart 21 railway project has been ongoing for a good 16 years, and commissioning has been repeatedly delayed. The costs, originally estimated at around three billion euros, have now risen to an estimated almost twelve billion euros.
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