As of: February 2, 2024, 8:09 p.m
By: Lisa Mayerhofer
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Deutsche Bahn has practically completely put its new construction projects on hold following the budget cuts.
(Archive image) © Rene Traut/Imago
Deutsche Bahn has practically completely put its new construction projects on hold following the budget cuts.
Many important projects are affected.
Berlin – Because of expansion on the rails: After the cuts in the transport budget, Deutsche Bahn is cutting its new construction projects to practically zero.
In addition to passenger traffic, this will hit freight traffic particularly hard, as can be seen from a list by the rail network company Infrago,
excerpts of which were available to
Reuters on Friday (February 2).
The remaining funds for the next few years should therefore flow almost exclusively into the renovation of existing routes; construction projects that are already underway should be completed.
However, central new construction projects such as the connection between Frankfurt and Mannheim, which is central for both passenger and freight transport, have no chance.
Der Spiegel
first
reported on it.
Budget cuts: Deutsche Bahn has to save money
Deutsche Bahn stated that it was fundamentally sticking to all expansion plans.
However, given the current budget situation, the timing of the projects had to be checked.
“As agreed with the federal government, the focus of implementation is initially on modernizing and renewing the existing network and on the projects that are already under construction,” said a railway spokeswoman.
They now want to develop solutions to continue the planning until the financing has been clarified.
The Ministry of Transport pointed out that around three quarters of the expected additional needs were covered in the budget round.
In addition, we continue to work to provide the funds necessary for rail.
Although the focus is primarily on renovation, there is also a need for further new construction and expansion.
The federal government had actually promised the railways an additional 40 billion euros by 2027.
After the Constitutional Court ruling on the illegality of the budget plans and the subsequent cuts, around 27 billion euros remain.
Saving at Deutsche Bahn: Which projects are affected
The scratch list now also includes projects such as the new building between Hamburg and Hanover or Nuremberg and Würzburg.
In addition, the long-planned route from Uelzen via Magdeburg to Halle, which is important for freight traffic, is affected.
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What is also unpleasant for Germany is that the access to the Swiss Gotthard Tunnel between Karlsruhe and Basel is also affected.
The section is central to European freight transport.
This also applies to a section near Oberhausen that was intended to improve connections to the North Sea ports of the Netherlands.
On the Dutch side, the route has been in operation since 2017.
The Green Railway expert Matthias Gastel warned of clear-cutting.
The federal government's goals such as the relocation of rail freight transport or the electrification of railway lines threatened to fail.
“The transport and finance ministries must now come up with solutions, otherwise there is a risk of massive damage to the economy.”
(lma/Reuters)