A record €9.3 billion will be spent on infrastructure improvements this year across Germany’s national rail network, Deutsche Bahn (DB) has announced.
The majority of the budget (€5.5 billion) will be spent on renewals and maintenance. Over the course of the year, 1,600 km of track, more than 220 bridges and 1,700 switches will be modernised.
Around €2.6 billion will be spent on more than 40 new construction projects and €1.2 billion will be invested in stations.
In November 2017, DB began installing new information desks at its stations. By the end of 2020, 82 of its stations will have the new information kiosks.
DB said there had been an “investment offensive” over the past few years and that is was making good progress addressing its maintenance backlog.
The additional €800 million in 2018 will create more than 2,000 construction jobs around the country.
DB said it was also currently planning a programme to renew its high-speed rail network. Work is expected to begin in 2019, with the Hanover – Würzburg line due to be one of the first to be modernised.
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