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Construction site on the Rhine Valley line: billion-dollar repair backlog

Photo: Arnulf Hettrich / IMAGO

Deutsche Bahn wants to accelerate the renovation of its ailing rail network and also modernize its stations. The company wants to create thousands of new jobs and push ahead with modernization at its own expense, announced Berthold Huber, the Group Board Member responsible for infrastructure.

"This year alone, we are hiring 3000,<> skilled workers – construction project planners and supervisors," Huber told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. In addition, investments will be made in a more modern construction machinery park in order to "drive forward the necessary renovation of the company's own network".

In addition, the group wants to take stronger action against the risks of sabotage with additional personnel. "The plan is for us to hire 500 of our own new security guards to better protect the rails and facilities," said the railway manager.

"Around 2000 kilometers of track, 1800 switches and 200 bridges will be renewed by the end of the year," Huber continued. Because Deutsche Bahn is pre-financing an additional three billion euros, it is modernizing 17 percent more tracks, 11 percent more switches and over 50 percent more control and safety systems than in the previous year.

In addition, 650 stations were to be modernized. According to Huber, new display systems are planned for informing travelers and beautifying underpasses. "We will raise platforms to enable step-free access to the trains, and install ramps and elevators to create accessibility," the railway board announced. In the future, stations in the big cities should become "mobility hubs" and be equipped with bicycle parking garages.

He himself had underestimated the consequences of the critical state of the infrastructure until 2020, Huber admitted to the newspaper. He had taken over the post only last year from predecessor Ronald Pofalla. "We already knew that we had a great need for renewal." But recent analyses have "clearly shown the full extent". The reality is: "The rail infrastructure is not doing very well."

mic/AFP