Separation of network and operation
Monopolies Commission wants Deutsche Bahn to be split up
7/4/2023 2:39 am
The Monopolies Commission presents a report that has it all: The experts call for a radical restructuring of Deutsche Bahn. Rail operations must be geared towards the common good.
The Monopolies Commission, which advises the federal government on competition issues, recommends splitting up Deutsche Bahn. “The Deutsche Bahn Group has to be restructured,” said Jürgen Kühling, chairman of the committee, of the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. The plans of the traffic light coalition, which envisage the formation of an infrastructure society geared towards the common good, are “a sensible component of a comprehensive reform package,” said Kühling.
The planned restructuring is “a good step towards unbundling,” said the chairman of the monopolies commission. In the end, the big winner must be the rails. Politicians must “seize this opportunity now,” he demanded, and warned that the restructuring should not just be a change of label.
Kühling wants to publish the ninth “Railway Sector Report” prepared by the Monopolies Commission today and hand it over to the Federal Government and the Federal Ministry of Transport by Volker Wissing. In the 86-page paper, the experts campaign massively for more competition in the rail sector and for comprehensive reforms. The new network society must be oriented towards the common good, demanded Kühling. This point should not be watered down during implementation, because only then will travelers benefit.
“There is a significant investment backlog”
The Monopolies Commission has been calling for Deutsche Bahn to be broken up for some time. The state-owned company is to be divided into an infrastructure and a transport division. The infrastructure company would then only be responsible for the rail network with a total length of 33,000 kilometers. According to the concept, the operators of the infrastructure and the users of this infrastructure should be strictly separated from each other.
The goal is more competition in the railway market and more quality at Deutsche Bahn. Deutsche Bahn is currently struggling with strikes, delays, many construction sites and dissatisfied customers. The railway had been underfinanced for many years and there was a considerable investment backlog, said Kühling. This will now be tackled. “But that takes a lot of staying power,” said Kühling.
Within the federal government, the Greens and the FDP are in favor of unbundling Deutsche Bahn, while the SPD is skeptical about the project. The Union parties recently spoke out in favor of this.