Evelyn Palla, CEO of Deutsche Bahn, has prepared passengers for a lengthy period of intensive construction work on the German rail network. In a recent statement to the German Press Agency (dpa), Palla emphasized that the complete refurbishment of the dilapidated infrastructure will take approximately ten years.
Despite record federal investments, amounting to around €23 billion this year alone, the modernization process is a lengthy undertaking due to decades of underfunding. The goal is to upgrade over 40 heavily used rail corridors by 2036 in order to permanently reduce disruptions and delays.
A key component of the strategy remains the so-called comprehensive refurbishment, during which sections of track are completely closed for several months to carry out all necessary work in one go. Palla defended this concept as the only viable option, but acknowledged weather-related delays. For example, the original completion date for the important Hamburg-Berlin connection at the end of April 2026 cannot be met due to frozen ground in winter. The railway plans to announce the exact new commissioning date in mid-March, with Palla anticipating a delay of a few weeks rather than a month. Critics, particularly from the freight sector, complain about the often inadequate and congested diversionary routes during these closures.
To quickly increase passenger acceptance, the company announced immediate action programs. These are intended to bring about noticeable improvements in station cleanliness, safety, and passenger information. Despite the current construction workload, the railway management is sticking to its punctuality target for long-distance services by 2026. The extensive measures are being financed, among other sources, from the government's special infrastructure fund, which was declared a priority by the current federal government. The company anticipates a record number of approximately 28.000 construction sites across Germany this year.
The federal government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz had already emphasized the need for more realistic time planning shortly after taking office and extended the renovation period to avoid overburdening the operational capacities of the construction industry and rail replacement services. The challenge now lies in striking a balance between the necessary radical renovation and maintaining a reliable basic service. While commuters between Cologne, Wuppertal, and Hagen are currently facing a five-month complete closure, the modernized network is expected to offer significantly higher capacity and reliability for Germany's economy once the work is completed.