Frankfurt – A quick and comprehensive modernization of the rail infrastructure threatens to fall by the wayside again, warn the unions EVG and IG Metall. The government coalition had correctly set the course in the coalition agreement, but there was no consequence in the implementation of the unions with a view to the federal budget, which will be advised in parliament from this Tuesday. This unsettles the companies in the rail industry, endangers jobs there and leads to significant price increases for rail customers.
The central criticism of the unions is the promotion of routes, which is significantly too low in view of the expected cost increases. This year there is therefore a risk of significant price increases in rail freight traffic and long -distance transport. In addition, the already planned shift of funds from the core budget into the special fund infrastructure (SVIK) raises the question of how credible the promise of additional funds for the future is. This ensures uncertainty in the rail industry, according to IG Metall and Evg. In addition, both unions criticize that the announced railway infrastructure fund is still long in coming – it would be central to long -term planning security. The digitization of the rail must also be prioritized more clearly.
Martin Burkert, Chairman of the EVG: “The political will decides whether the turnaround will succeed or not. The federal government urgently has to reform the route prize system and now increase the funding for the route. blocked. “
Jürgen Kerner, second chairman of IG Metall: “We want the traffic contact to lead to a job offensive in Germany. The need is obvious: billions of billions have to be invested so that more people have to use the railways, more goods are relocated to rails and the railway arrives in the digital age. So that the railway industry is expanded accordingly, it needs to be expanded in their production locations and is sufficiently public Above all, one thing: The announced railway infrastructure is not to be postponed to the long bank, and the impression must not be postponed.
Higher route promotion and system reform necessary
The federal government plans to significantly increase the equity of Deutsche Bahn. Because equity is associated with a high return on the federal government, the network operator must raise the route prices (the so -called rail toll) – in 2025 by 16 percent in rail freight transport and 18 percent in long -distance transport. The trains will pass on a large part of the route increase to their customers and thus ensure massive price increases in local passenger transport and rail freight transport. EVG and IG Metall ask MPs to prevent this in parliamentary procedures. To do this, the promotion of routes in the federal budget in long -distance transport must be increased by at least 95 million euros and in freight transport by at least 75 million euros. Afterwards, the federal government should lower the rail toll with a basic route price reform to the immediate costs of a train journey, as has long been common in other European countries.
Additional funds and planning security are a prerequisite for investments
The construction cost grants for the new and expansion as well as for the electrification of the rail are significantly reduced in the core budget. This creates the impression of a household -political shift railway. That is the wrong signal for the rail industry. Although a growing budget for investments in rail traffic is planned in medium -term financial planning, but it remains unclear how it is distributed. Here the railway structural fund announced in the coalition agreement would ensure more planning security.
Digitization lacks the binding overall strategy
In the household, additional funds are available for digitization of the rail – for example for digital signal boxes and the European train security system ETCs. The unions evaluate this positively. In their view, however, it is uncovering the implementation: projects are delayed, responsibilities are unclear and there is a lack of a binding overall strategy. Without clear priorities and a stringent implementation, the digitization of the rails threatens to remain pace – with negative consequences for capacity, efficiency and competitiveness.