The BVWP 2030 programme, launched nine years ago by the German government has overwhelmingly underdelivered, according to sector association Die Güterbahnen. “So far, a mere 540.5 kilometers of additional rail line have been built (…) Around 80 percent of the planned projects are, to a large extent, not even under construction yet”, they claimed.
The programme was introduced in 2016, with the transport minister of the time saying Germany needed over 3,100 kilometres of new railways. According to Die Güterbahnen’s head Peter Westenberger, even achieving this goal would not be enough for the needs of German railways and rail freight. “But the fact that only 20 percent of it has actually been built so far can only be described as stagnation in slow motion”, he added.
Generalsanierung shortcomings
The issues with infrastructure upgrades, desperately needed in Germany, does not end with the BVWP 2030. Last year, the government tried to double down, introducing the Generalsanierung, a massive rail renovation initiative involving over 40 projects. The first idea was to complete all these upgrades by 2030, which would have translated into simultaneous prolonged closures of key lines.
However, this summer DB InfraGO decided to spread out the renovations until the mid-2030s, causing fewer disruptions, albeit for a longer time. The German industry responded positively, but the temporary capacity restrictions planned for the ongoing and upcoming upgrade projects have an impact outside the border too.
Germany’s role in European logistics is vital, especially for the Rhine-Alpine axis connecting Italy to the Netherlands. Thus, an up-to-date railway network there, is in the best interest of many especially given the position of German ports such as Hamburg and Bremerhaven. However, improving the network is a very expensive operation that requires time as well.