Delays, red numbers and an ailing rail network: Deutsche Bahn is in crisis. The Union is now demanding a dismantling of the state-owned company.
The concept is exclusively available to the “Augsburger Allgemeine” (Monday edition). A reform paper by the parliamentary group states that the network, train stations and energy sectors will be separated from the network and bundled into a federal infrastructure company. According to the concept, infrastructure and transport are separated from each other.
The Union uses the federal motorway company as a model for the infrastructure GmbH. The federal government should therefore be able to decide independently of the railway company which routes will be renovated, upgraded or newly built.
According to the “Augsburger Allgemeine”, only the local, long-distance and freight transport departments remained with the railways. They should also be slimmed down. “The DB holding will be dissolved and the previous DB structure with 740 holdings and subsidiaries will be unbundled,” the CDU and CSU demand, according to the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.
The current structure is useless
The CSU traffic expert Ulrich Lange worked out the concept significantly. With the current structure, Lange is quoted as saying, the railways can neither meet the ongoing business nor the ambitious growth targets in long-distance and freight traffic. Train drivers experienced unpunctual, failed or overcrowded trains as well as poor reception on the Internet and mobile phones.
The breakup of the railway will mean that private competitors would have better chances of snatching market shares from the top dog.
The traffic light coalition is also working on a rail reform. The network and train station divisions are to be merged, but the network and operations remain with the railways.
Schenker should stay with the railways
And in contrast to the traffic lights, according to the “Augsburger Allgemeine”, the CDU and CSU definitely want to keep the freight forwarding subsidiary Schenker with the railways. The railway is currently being asked to consider selling the logistics subsidiary. The supervisory board issued this order in December, and the expected billions in proceeds are intended primarily to reduce the high level of debt.
Schenker contributed the largest share of operating profit in 2022, while long-distance and local transport and the goods division made losses. “As an international logistics service provider, DB Schenker must remain in federal hands. This is of strategic importance, especially with a view to competitors like China,” the reform paper says. (tsp)
