Federal Transport Minister Bilger is calling for a noticeable improvement in the rail infrastructure by 2029

Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger is increasing the pressure on Deutsche Bahn. The federal government came into office with the promise of bringing the infrastructure back into shape, said the CDU politician in the ARD interview of the week. That's why one can expect that there will be at least a "noticeable improvement" by 2029.

This also includes the punctuality goal in long-distance transport, says Bilger. That should be 70 percent by then. "If you see that we have had just over 50 percent punctuality in long-distance transport in the last few months, then you can see that this goal is quite ambitious."

But we shouldn't rest on our laurels, the minister emphasized. In addition to punctuality, safety, cleanliness and better customer communication also contribute to a positive rail experience. Bilger's predecessor Patrick Schnieder (CDU) and railway boss Evelyn Palla had given the starting signal for corresponding immediate programs in recent months.

Transport Minister wants to present new construction site concept soon

Bilger announced a new construction site concept at the railway. He is not satisfied with the course of the corridor renovation - the total closure of important routes in need of renovation. After the construction work, the corresponding sections should be able to be driven without any problems. This promise has too often not been kept, says Bilger.

On the recently renovated route between Hamburg and Berlin, there was a punctuality rate of 25 percent after the renovation - even though the route was closed for more than ten months for extensive construction work until the summer. According to experts, the route is still not running smoothly to this day.

Bilger wants to increase pressure with a “performance agreement”.

The corridor renovation between Hanover and Berlin began on Friday. Construction work is planned until December 2027. According to Deutsche Bahn, more than 40 route sections with a total length of more than 4,000 kilometers will undergo such corridor renovation in the coming years. According to Bilger, intensive discussions are underway with Deutsche Bahn. The federal government and the railway company are working together on a new concept, said the minister. He wants to make a proposal soon.

Corridor renovations should continue. But you have to make sure that it works afterwards, says Bilger. We are currently negotiating a “performance agreement” with the railway. This is about how much funding the ministry will make available in the next five years - and for what.

"It's a sum worth billions, more than 80 billion euros." That is twice as much as in the past five years. “We expect that our infrastructure will be noticeably better,” emphasized Bilger. The money must be used efficiently.