“Explosives, especially in the East”
Union sharply criticises possible cuts at the railway
27.06.2024, 12:08
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The Ministry of Transport plans to only give the railway two-thirds of the money for track renovation. There is also a risk of several long-distance routes being cut back, particularly in the east. The head of the railway union EVG, Martin Burkert, has made serious allegations.
The head of the railway union EVG, Martin Burkert, has sharply criticized the federal government’s transport policy in light of the possible cancellation of long-distance connections by Deutsche Bahn. The government is “continuing to cut” funding for the railways, complained Burkert. He warned that the reports about possible cancellation of long-distance connections were “socially explosive, especially in the East”.
The current discussion about the 2025 transport budget shows that, according to the plans of the Ministry of Transport, roads will continue to be clearly preferred over rail. In fact, billions of euros that were previously earmarked for rail renovation will be redistributed in favor of the motorway. “This budgetary madness defies description,” said Burkert.
Although Transport Minister Volker Wissing and other traffic light politicians emphasized the importance of rail at every opportunity, they have pledged less than 30 billion euros for the renovation of the rail network instead of the necessary 45 billion euros, said Burkert. “Anyone who deviates from the agreed renovation and expansion path is overexploiting the future viability of the railway, failing to meet climate protection goals and damaging Germany as an industrial location.”
Discontinuation of long-distance connections, especially in the East
The political need to save money is already noticeable and “will continue to tear our country apart,” Burkert continued. Wednesday’s report in “Spiegel” that the railway is considering discontinuing some intercity connections, mainly in the east, next year is “socially explosive.” The region is already disadvantaged when it comes to connections to the long-distance network.
The union leader criticised the responsibility for this to be a policy “that makes rail transport artificially expensive through astronomically high track prices”. “Anyone who wants long-distance transport for everyone must also ensure financing. The owner has a duty here.”
Deutsche Bahn had rejected the report by “Spiegel”, which had named several long-distance connections threatened with cancellation. However, there are serious financial bottlenecks, which is why the timetable is being reviewed, explained Michael Peterson, the board member responsible for long-distance transport. According to the company, a “drastic increase” in track access charges is “on the table”.
The Ministry of Transport referred to a regulation that was introduced a few years ago “under pressure from the states”. According to this, track access charges for local transport are capped and cost increases must be passed on to long-distance and freight transport. In the “short term”, the Ministry is committed to state support for track access charges. However, the system is not sustainable as it is and needs to be revised.