Comboios arrive late, president of Deutsche Bahn was fired

Decision of the German government. The company is experiencing a “dramatic situation; punctuality rate dropped to 62.5% last year.

The German government announced this Thursday resignation do chairman of the Railway Operator Deutsche Bahn (DB), Richard Lutz, that has been the target of criticism, namely Due to the lack of punctuality of the trains.

“We agreed to terminate the contract of the president of the railway company,” German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder said at a surprise press conference in Berlin, cited by the AFP agency.

The ruler highlighted the situation “Dramatic” DB, with the dissatisfaction of users in terms of punctuality and profitability. THE punctuality rate of long distance trains has been falling for years in Germany. Last year, it reached only 62,5%, against 79% in 2016.

At the head of DB since 2017, Lutz, 61, will remain in office until a successor is found, and his contract was expected to be effective by 2027.

Minister Patrick Schnieder did not present the new president. By the way, underlines, this press conference was “Call for haste” And there is no optimism about the future leader; It doesn’t seem to be easy to find the new president.

The successor needs Deutsche Bahn’s debts, renew the deteriorated infrastructure and improve the punctuality of the trains.

The minister warned that he would make a decision on the future of the public company’s management before the end of summer, as part of a reformulation of the National Railway Strategy.

The details of a “renovation” of DB will be released on September 22, the minister announced during the press conference. “If everything goes the best way, we can present the strategy and perhaps also succession within a relatively short time,” he added.

Schnieder said he was “dissatisfied” With the punctuality of German trains, criticized by users and regularly ridiculed on social networks.

Deutsche Bahn’s Users Association received the announcement of Lutz’s departure saying that “ Situation of the railways will not change with the change of leadersbut only with the improvement of rail policy in Germany and with sufficient financing of the railways. ”

Karl-Peter Naumann, Pro-Bahn’s honorary leader, told AFP that “all previous transport ministers failed, in fact, and contributed strongly to the current situation of the iron paths.”

The company, 100% detained by the Federal State, has been affected by its obsolete infrastructures and one debt which reduced this summer, thanks to the sale of its profitable Schenker logistics branch.

The group will be able to count, by the end of the legislature in 2029, with 107 billion euros of public aid, of which more than 20 billion this year. Most of the special infrastructure fund of 500 billion euros, approved in March by the government.

But it will take another 17 billion euros by 2029, defended Richard Lutz, to carry out the digitization and modernization of existing infrastructures, without delays.