No new railway project was commissioned in 2023 in Germany
The plan announced by the current ruling class in Germany, the so-called traffic light coalition, to expand rail capacity did bring the expected results for 2023. German rail association Die Güterbahnen said that “no new...Read more
Frankfurt-Mannheim railway: total closure between 1 and 22 January
The Riedbahn, the railway connecting Frankfurt with Mannheim, will be “fully closed to train traffic from 1-22 January”, Deutsche Bahn (DB) stated. The line is planned to undergo significant renovation over the next five months....Read more
Metal theft causes train delays and increased costs for DB
Metal thefts increasingly disrupt Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) freight transportation operations. Thieves are especially interested in removing copper cables, thus causing substantial damage to German railway infrastructure. The damage, in turn, results in significant delays for...Read more
DB Schenker to be sold as one unit, says German Transport Minister
The sale of Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) logistics subsidiary DB Schenker is entering a new phase. The supervisory board and DB management board decided to put the large freight forwarding company up for sale as a...Read more
It’s not Black Mirror, just DB Cargo testing robot dogs
Citizens of the Mainz-Bischofsheim area, in Western Germany, might see a dog-like robot walking around DB Cargo’s maintenance facility. Despite looking like the ones attacking people in the Black Mirror episode ‘Metalhead’, this one has...Read more
EVG agrees to DB’s collective agreement, strikes averted
The vote has been cast. The ballots held by German trade union EVG resulted in the acceptance of Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Despite EVG calling it “a clear vote by the membership”,...Read more
Emmerich-Oberhausen upgrade: traffic restricted for next six weeks
A bundle of upgrades is about to start on the Emmerich-Oberhausen railway line, in northwestern Germany. This line is a key section of the Rhine-Alpine Corridor, connecting Germany to the Arnhem, in the Netherlands. The...Read more
Germany pledges multi-billion investments in rail, concerns remain
The German Ministry of Transport (BMDV), led by Volker Wissing, recently approved an injection of around 27 billion euros to dedicate to the country’s rail sector for the period between 2024 and 2027. On the...Read more
DB could face 400 million euros in expenses to break ties with Huawei
German parties are discussing a potential ban on Huawei’s technology in rail. The ban would result in the replacement of the entire Huawei component in railways, which has been a vital part of Deutsche Bahn’s...Read more
Looming rail strikes in Germany might happen in autumn
Rail strikes in Germany might occur next autumn if negotiations between trade union EVG and Deutsche Bahn (DB) do not reach satisfactory results. Striking in autumn rather than summer, according to the union, would cause...Read more
No railway strike in Germany as of yet
There will likely be no railway strikes in Germany this week. Deutsche Bahn has returned to the negotiation table. Today, Monday 5 June, it is in talks with EVG and also GDL, another railway worker...Read more
Even more construction on German tracks this year to replace half a million sleepers
The German railway network will have 400 additional construction sites this year and this will have a negative impact on punctuality, predicts Deutsche Bahn. DB will replace more than five times more sleepers than usual....Read more
Another offer, another rejection: massive rail strikes Germany nearby
Despite the optimism on the side of Deutsche Bahn (DB) last week, the negotiations with labour union EVG seem to have reached rock bottom. EVG has rejected the DB offer and in response, the German...Read more
German strike called off, at least for Deutsche Bahn
The anticipated railway strike of Deutsche Bahn’s workers in Germany has been called off. What was supposed to be the longest strike in German history is a relatively normal start of the week on Monday morning....Read more
German rail workers strike again, and hard this time
Another round of railway strikes are to be held in Germany. Members of labour union EVG are called upon to stop working from Sunday, 14 May 10 pm up to Tuesday, 16 May midnight. “Especially...Read more
Deutsche Bahn completes digital freight train test run
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has completed the first practical test of the so-called digital freight train. This test train was equipped with various prototypes of digital automatic couplers (DAC). The trial convoy ran throughout Europe for...Read more
DB’s locomotives at Munich North’s shunting yard will run on HVO
Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) shunting locomotives at the Munich-North shunting yard (Rangierbahnhof München Nord) will now be fuelled solely by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). “DB Energie has completely converted the refueling station at the Munich North...Read more
DB introduces tighter criteria for sleepers inspection
The various inspection rounds of sleepers across Germany in recent months have resulted in new, tightened procedures at Deutsche Bahn (DB) regarding future inspections. DB has stated that it will implement “stricter criteria for the...Read more
German union calls for massive rail strike to start on 27 March
STRIKESA massive, nationwide rail strike in Germany will start on Monday, 27 March. It will be carried out by the rail union EVG, which represents most of the country’s railway workforce. EVG blamed DB for...Read more