German rail projects face funding crisis, over 90 at risk of standstill

More than 90 German rail projects, encompassing both new constructions and upgrades, are at risk of halting due to insufficient federal funding. This situation emerged from the German government's response to an inquiry by the Green party, a document obtained by the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND).

The shortfall impacts projects that are either in the planning stages or already underway. The transport alliance Allianz pro Schiene has criticized the federal government, demanding that it address the funding gap in the 2027 budget. They also called for the Infraplan, the Federal Ministry of Transport's steering instrument for Deutsche Bahn's infrastructure, to be financed for a period longer than a single fiscal year to enable long-term planning.

Dirk Flege, managing director of Allianz pro Schiene, stated, "We expect the federal government to keep its promise: namely, that what is ready for construction will actually be built." The government's response also indicated that planned investments for ongoing and new rail construction projects up to 2030 fall short of the government's own identified needs.

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We expect the federal government to keep its promise: namely, that what is ready for construction will actually be built.