Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) has rejected calls for additional funding for Deutsche Bahn aimed at improving punctuality. According to a report from the “Rheinische Post” (Saturday edition), the minister stated that “just under 170 billion euros are available during this term of office, with more than 106 billion euros allocated to rail.” Schnieder emphasized that the company must now utilize these record sums effectively and is tasked with advancing the digitalization of the rail network. He added that “with this substantial money, much good can be achieved-and that is precisely their current mission.”
With this statement, he dismissed the corporation’s demands for more financial aid, replying that the situation “is not that simple.” Instead, he stressed the necessity of improving operational processes and modernizing the infrastructure. He explained that this is a long-term process that cannot be completed within a single year or even one legislative period. Consequently, there will be no “short-term enormous jumps,” though he noted that the network will become more reliable with every completed construction project.
