After the flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, Deutsche Bahn has to completely rebuild or renovate seven lines.
"It will be a mammoth task," said a railway spokeswoman on Deutschlandfunk on Wednesday.
The total extent of the damage cannot yet be measured;
the group currently estimates the damage to the infrastructure alone at 1.3 billion euros;
in addition to the lack of sales, said the spokeswoman.
In the flood area, stretches were washed away or gravel was washed away.
"We can not yet say when such a route will be safe to drive again," said the spokeswoman.
According to the railway, a total of 600 kilometers of rail have been destroyed and 80 stations, some seriously damaged.
When planning the construction of new routes, the railway is preparing for increasing extreme weather conditions, the spokeswoman said.
The group is analyzing the traffic regions with a view to the year 2060. Before a new route is built, there are "very thorough checks".
ilo / bk
