A crisis of morale and systemic doubt is engulfing Deutsche Bahn (DB) as the newly appointed CEO, Evelyn Palla, prepares to unveil her corporate strategy this week. Internal communications, leaked to the Süddeutsche Zeitung, reveal a profound breakdown in trust amongst DB Fernverkehr employees – train drivers, signalmen and dispatchers – who are reportedly working under unsustainable conditions and questioning the efficacy of management’s plans.
The unrest has escalated following an interview with DB Fernverkehr board member Michael Peterson, published on the company’s internal app “Echt Klar”. Employees are now openly voicing their frustrations within private chat groups, often using photographic evidence and identifying themselves directly – a clear indication of the depth of their discontent. Messages obtained by the newspaper paint a picture of exhaustion, demotivation and a pervasive sense of being undervalued. “No more Christmas party. Motivation among most employees is poor. Appreciation is zero” reads one message attributed to Jochen D. Another, from Marcel D., states, “We need to stop lying to ourselves.
The leaked communications also highlight a growing disillusionment with Peterson and his board. Several messages directly challenge the rationale behind recent decisions and question the competency of long-term managers now tasked with overseeing a supposed “fresh start”. Sascha K. laments, “Everything in the group needs to be questioned, including how it makes sense that leaders who have been in the group for a long time suddenly believe a ‘restart’ is the right approach”. Thomas J. bluntly states, “The whole system is so sick”. Employees allege that leadership’s focus is skewed toward project proliferation, copious PowerPoint presentations and intricate Excel spreadsheets rather than addressing the tangible operational challenges on the ground.
Adding further complexity, Peterson recently announced the elimination of approximately 500 positions by 2026 and signaled no immediate changes to notoriously chaotic shift schedules. He also appears to have discontinued “Volles Funktionieren” a program intended to revitalize the long-distance rail network.
Sources within DB’s leadership have confirmed that the previous corporate strategy, “S3” spearheaded by former CEO Richard Lutz, has been “immediately discontinued”. This shift has been met with cynicism from staff, who are skeptical of a new, unspecified restructuring program. Morris K. captured this sentiment succinctly, noting the abrupt abandonment of initiatives previously deemed crucial: “Future Bahn – abolished. Strong Rail – abolished. Volles Funktionieren – abolished. S3 – abolished”. He questions whether these repeated cycles of restructuring and efficiency drives are, in fact, contributing to the erosion of trust amongst operational staff, ultimately driving morale towards zero. “I have massively lost trust in the decision-making bodies” he states.
