Crisis meeting to rail Against the Tardiness of Ministers of transport, Andreas Scheuer has talked with executives of the Deutsche Bahn about the necessary improvements. Concrete measures have not been decided. © Photo: Paul Zinken
The top round in the Federal Ministry of transport, crisis, Deutsche Bahn has been adjourned after one and a half hours. He was with the versions of the group Board of management “not satisfied,” said the Parliamentary state Secretary in the Ministry, Enak Ferlemann (CDU), after the Meeting with the railway chief Richard Lutz. The Federal Minister of transport, Andreas Scheuer (CSU) announced on Thursday another crisis meeting. Have not all of the topics to discuss, said Scheuer to the conversation. “It was very constructive, but also very focused.”
At the Meeting, members of the coalition parties had participated, as well as rail infrastructure management Board Ronald Pofalla and chief financial officer Alexander Doll. The Parliamentary state Secretary Steffen Bilger (CDU), complained: “It could be a bit more specific.” Railway Board member Kirsten Lühmann (SPD), said: “It is the customers of the Deutsche Bahn. In one and a half hours you can’t solve.”
Scheuer stressed that the measures, which quickly improvements could be made. The customer should already see in the first half of the year, progress can be made in the punctuality of the trains. Lutz had done at the Meeting, proposals to increase the quality. Finally, the punctuality of long-distance trains was significantly lower than the self-imposed brand. In the past year, about every fourth train was late. Due to maintenance problems, trains stay on the road, many cars are in a desolate condition.
Scheuer “open” for a sale of the foreign subsidiary Arriva
The transport Minister called it also a better on-site management, in order to get bottlenecks in the handle. The policy is also to guarantee the “financial base,” said Scheuer. Details, he did not call first. Deutsche Bahn AG has debts of around 20 billion Euro and can’t Finance Experts and according to experts, the purchase of new trains and the maintenance and Expansion of the rail network from the current profits. How advance it became known, wanted to Lutz propose at the Meeting the sale of the Bahn subsidiary Arriva, which operates trains in the UK, the Netherlands and Denmark, or buses in Italy and Eastern Europe.
Scheuer said he was open to a possible sale of Arriva, it was not specified in the question. This was on Tuesday but still no theme. You must go at the matter in depth, you will not place a “very interesting” companies on the market. A sale of Arriva is in the government and the railway Board controversial.
Lutz wants to transport in addition, the heads of group subsidiaries from the transport of people and goods in the Board of Directors to expedite decision-making in the fight against the Tardiness. Scheuer confirmed such Considerations. In the debate, but there is also criticism: “discussions about the personnel and structure of the group, only distract from the Main and bring in the customers, the comes with the train to be late for work, nothing at all,” said SPD parliamentary group Deputy Sören Bartol. Also, he urged the group’s leadership “binding statements” about how you want to improve punctuality and Service.
Green: the Minister of transport must give, “the long lines”
criticism of the policy came from various associations. The pro-Rail Alliance, said that Germany is investing “for decades” in its rail network. The Alliance has estimated the necessary investment of the Federal government with at least seven billion euros a year. In Germany, a holistic approach for a sustainable mobility policy is lacking. The environmental oriented transport club of Germany asked, scouring the Deutsche Bahn had to be “financially strong tail wind”. The poor condition of the track was the result of a decades-long neglect of the rail network by the Federal government.
Green party leader, Anton Hofreiter, called on the Federal government, even a concept for the modernization of the railway. The Minister of transport had to specify “long lines,” said Hofreiter of the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung. Politicians have ignored the problems for too long. The Parliamentary Manager of the Left, Jan Korte, called for a “of General interest committed to rail”. Such a company will never make a profit, and is suitable as a return object.
The railway and transport Union (EVG) had to meet in front of the tip for a reconstruction of the state group. “The DB AG will not be in the present Form able to survive,” said the Chairman of the EDC, as well as Vice-Bahn Chairman of the Supervisory Board Alexander Kirchner. “In my view, we need a railway reform 2.” This means that undesirable developments will be addressed in the overall system finally. It is also more money from the Federal government as a railway owner is required.
