Between 1995 and 2019, the German railway network has shrunk by 15 per cent. Simultaneously, passenger and freight traffic grew by 42 per cent and 83 per cent, respectively. “It’s getting tighter and tighter in the German railway network, and we should not be deceived by the increased capacities caused by the pandemic”, said Dirk Flege, managing director of Allianz pro-Schiene, a non-profit pro-rail interest group.