The passenger association, Pro Bahn, is urging that rail infrastructure be financed over multiple years rather than annually, arguing this would make renovations more dependable and cheaper. Lukas Iffländer, the association’s federal chairman, told Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that the minister must enforce a commitment of funds that is legally guaranteed across entire budget years. He stressed that the issue is not the total amount of money but the limitation to a single year, noting that since reconstruction programs, vehicle purchases, and tenders take place over several years, the current system forces funds to be allocated only for twelve months. This structure increases costs because construction plans are often stretched out toward the end of the year, resulting in necessary contracts being undersized.
Regarding network maintenance, approximately €16.3 billion is available this year, with funding projected to reach over €11.5 billion in 2027 through the Federal performance and financing agreement.
Iffländer also advocated for a reassessment of the heavily debated corridor renovations. He argued that there needs to be sufficient lead time to reliably organize replacement transport, vehicles, and staff. Furthermore, any diversion routes must be upgraded and electrified. He emphasized that a measurable benefit is crucial for these closures, stating that a complete five-month shutdown can only be justified if the line afterwards is equipped with ETCS and a digital signaling system. The ministry must publicly release the specific criteria for these corridor renovations before the railway company presents its revised concept this autumn.
