Bundesverkehrsminister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) said after reviewing Deutsche Bahn’s 2025 balance sheet that the stage is now set for a fresh start. A spokesperson for the transport ministry told the dts news agency on Friday that the rail operator still faces many hurdles-particularly in quality, service and punctuality.
The rising passenger figures demonstrate that the train network remains in demand. The spokesperson added that the figures would be dissected in detail.
Deutsche Bahn presented its 2025 accounts earlier in the morning. While the operating side again posted a profit, the total balance, including depreciation, still shows a loss of several billion euros.
Passenger numbers in the DB Group’s rail passenger traffic rose 3.4 % year‑on‑year to 1.93 billion in 2025, and the transport volume grew 2.7 % to roughly 87 billion passenger‑kilometers.
