Following the departure of Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz, Jan van Aken, leader of the Left Party, has called for “massive investment” and a legal restructuring of the rail company. “Simply replacing the coach won’t solve anything” van Aken told publications of the Funke Media Group (Saturday editions).
“The goal must always be to ensure that all people in Germany can afford to travel by train and reliably and safely get from A to B – whether for work or on vacation”. To achieve this, he stated, investment is needed in the rail network, which he characterized as having suffered from years of underfunding. Van Aken also proposed a change in the company’s legal structure: “The Bahn must once again become a public-law institution with a non-profit charter. Only then will the railway truly serve the people.
He criticized the annual increases in ticket prices and also highlighted the discontinuation of free seat reservations for children, contrasting this with what he described as “million-euro bonuses” still being awarded to rail managers. Van Aken pointed to the 9-euro ticket as a rare positive development.
The early departure of Bahn CEO Richard Lutz was announced on Thursday by Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU).
