DB InfraGO

Last updated
DB InfraGO AG
Company type Limited company
(Aktiengesellschaft)
Industry Railway infrastructure manager
Predecessor DB Netz and DB Station&Service
Founded27 December 2023 [1]
Headquarters
Frankfurt am Main,
Germany
Key people
  • Philipp Nagl, Chairman of the Board
  • Volker Hentschel, Board Member for Digital Rail Germany
  • Heike Junge-Latz, Facility and Maintenance Management
  • Christian Gruß, Operations, Schedule, Sales and Capacity Management
  • Ingrid Felipe, Infrastructure Planning and Projects
  • Jens Bergmann, Finance and Controlling
  • Heinz Siegmund, Personnel
  • Ralf Thieme, Passenger Stations
Number of employees
61,000 [2]
Website www.dbinfrago.com

DB InfraGO AG (GO short for gemeinwohlorientiert) is a state-owned railway infrastructure company, operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn (DB) [3] in the legal form of a stock corporation (AG), which was founded on 27 December 2023 by renaming DB Netz and merging DB Station&Service into this company. [4]

Contents

History

In recent years the punctuality and state of German railway infrastructure has suffered, largely due to underinvestment caused partially by the privatization of DB. DB is also relatively unique in that previously, two separate legal entities were responsible for the railway infrastructure (DB Netz) and the railway stations (DB Station&Service). This unique structure was responsible for a lack of coordination between the two main infrastructure companies which had only further hindered the ability of DB to return to punctuality. It was clear that something needed to change. After the German Federal election of 2021, in the 'Traffic Light' Coalition/Scholz Government, a merger of DB Netz and DB Station&Service was agreed upon to form a common good-oriented (gemeinwohlorientiert) infrastructure division within Deutsche Bahn. [5] [6]

The Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bahn decided to proceed with this merger to form DB InfraGO in its regular meeting held on 27 September 2023. According to the statement of the Supervisory Board Chairman, Werner Gatzer, the resolution created the legal basis for a common good-oriented infrastructure firm. [7] That same month, the German Federal Council demanded in a statement that the newly merged entity should also incorporate DB Energie; a separate legal entity that DB had previously put in place to own and operate it railway electric grid in a somewhat unique approach. [8] Despite this, the company remains a separate entity as of February 2024.

Regarding the organization of the new company, it was previously announced that the general works councils of both companies and EVG transit union had ensured that the previous structures in the cross-sectional areas would remain unchanged for at least three years. [9]

The profits of DB InfraGO will be transferred directly to the Germany Federal Government and not, as was previously the case, to Deutsche Bahn as a holding company. [10]

In December 2023, Peter Westenberger, managing director of the Freight Railway Competition Association, expressed legal concerns with reference to Art. 87e paragraph 5 of the Basic Law. regarding the planned merger of DB Netz and DB Station&Service, as the merger is planned without a legal basis and requires the participation of the federal states. [11]

Organization

General KPIs
2023
Employees61,400
Turnover7.535 M. Euro

By merging the two companies DB Netz and DB Station & Service, the following divisions have now been created within DB InfraGO:

Track Division (Geschäftsbereich Fahrweg)

The track division, previously DB Netz, employs around 53,000 people [12] and is responsible for the maintenance, operation and new construction/expansion of the German rail network. This includes, for example, dispatchers (Fahrdienstleiter), timetable creators (Fahrplanersteller), and route services employees. Maintenance of way specialists are also included in this division, although actual construction services are often outsourced to either the DB internal Bahnbaugruppe (Railway Construction Group) or to private industry.

In accordance with the guidelines of the Coalition Government, this division should also ensure that every rail transport company has non-discriminatory access to the German rail network.

Electronic Interlocking, Cologne Central Station Elektronisches Stellwerk Koln-Betriebsbahnhof-3866.jpg
Electronic Interlocking, Cologne Central Station
Track Division KPIs
2022 [12]
Network Operating Performance1,130 M. (Route kilometers)
Network Route Length33,400 km
Network Track Length (in km)60,800 km
Switches and Junctions 64,760
Railway Crossings 13,530
Railway Tunnels745
Railway Bridges25,719
Signal Boxs/Interlockings 3,850

Passenger Station Division (Geschäftsbereich Personenbahnhöfe)

The passenger stations division, previously DB Station & Service, is responsible for the operation, maintenance and organization of around 5,400 transport stations [12] in Germany. This business area includes, for example, the service employees at the DB Information counters, the platform supervisors, and numerous other employees who enable railway companies and business customers to access the station infrastructure.

Over 8,000 people work in this business area. [12]

Lubeck Hauptbahnhof Bahnsteighalle des Lubecker Hauptbahnhofs.jpg
Lübeck Hauptbahnhof
Passenger Station Division KPIs
2022 [12]
Boardings per Year156 M.
Daily Station Visitors21 M.
Railway Transport Operators Servicing DB InfraGO Stations120
Active Railway Stations 5,400
Head Houses 700

Common Good Orientation (Gemeinwohlorientierung)

According to the definition of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, companies that are oriented towards the common good are characterized by the fact that their business activities are aimed at social good, while profits are primarily spent to achieve this social goal. The ownership and organizational structures are also aimed at this goal. [13] In the context of DB InfraGO, this means that the core business of railway infrastructure maintenance and expansion should be consistently aligned with the social needs of the population, the economy and the environment. [14]

The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport sees the purpose of DB InfraGO as supporting a needs-based, strong, and efficient railway infrastructure system with high capacity, quality, and resilience. This applies to the operation, expansion, and maintenance of the railway infrastructure. [15]

General Rehabilitation of the Network (Generalsanierung des Netzes)

Plan and Goals

Due to underinvestment in maintenance of the railway infrastructure in the recent decades since partial privatization, around 40 corridors in the DB InfraGO network are classified as overcapacity. These include, among others: the railway lines Mannheim–Frankfurt (Riedbahn), Berlin–Hamburg and Emmerich–Oberhausen (Hollandstrecke).

A ICE on the ,,Riedbahn" in Mannheim-Handelshafen 401 - DB Fernverkehr -- Mannheim-Handelshafen - 5. August 2013 (14107293675).jpg
A ICE on the „Riedbahn“ in Mannheim-Handelshafen

In response, the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport, together with the board of directors of Deutsche Bahn, presented a restructuring plan in the summer of 2023. By 2030, the affected 40 routes are to be completely renovated through closures, some of which last several months, thereby increasing their performance and reducing the frequency of disruptions. For this purpose, DB received an additional 12.5 billion euros in equity capital and, with DB InfraGO, which was launched in January 2024, is tasked with expanding the corridors. [16]

Criticism

There is criticism that the costs for such a short-term 'general renovation' would already exceed the calculated costs for the first projects and are therefore much more expensive than normal renovation in long-term planned periods. The costs for expanding the Mannheim–Frankfurt railway line (Riedbahn) had already risen from 7.1 to 18.6 million euros per kilometer in mid-2024. There are also fears that the rest of the network outside the planned corridors will remain in a dilapidated condition. [17]

Investments

DB InfraGO AG holds at least 50% interest in each of the following companies: [18]

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References

  1. ↑ Amtsgericht Frankfurt am Main, HRB 50879
  2. ↑ "DB InfraGO". DB InfraGO. 2024-01-02. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  3. ↑ "InfraGo soll im vollständigen Eigentum der DB AG verbleiben". heute im bundestag (in German). Deutscher Bundestag. 2023-09-20. Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  4. ↑ "Neue Bahngesellschaft InfraGo kann zu Jahresbeginn Arbeit aufnehmen" (in German). Handelsblatt. 2023-12-27. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  5. ↑ Mehr Fortschritt wagen – Bündnis für Freiheit, Gerechtigkeit und Nachhaltigkeit – Koalitionsvertrag 2021–2025 zwischen der Sozialdemokratischen Partei Deutschlands (SPD), Bündnis 90/Die Grünen und den Freien Demokraten (FDP) (PDF), Berlin: Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Freie Demokratische Partei, 7 December 2021, p. 39, retrieved 2 October 2023
  6. ↑ Bovenizer, Noah (30 April 2024). "Deutsche Bahn outlines €16.4bn infrastructure plan, first under DB InfraGo". railway-technology.com.
  7. ↑ "DB-Aufsichtsrat bringt gemeinwohlorientierte Infrastrukturgesellschaft DB InfraGO AG auf den Weg" (in German). Deutsche Bahn. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "Entwurf eines Vierten Gesetzes zur Änderung des Bundesschienenwegeausbaugesetzes" (PDF), Bundesrat (Stellungnahme des Bundesrates), no. Drucksache 379/23 (Beschluss), 29 September 2023, retrieved 2 October 2023
  9. ↑ "GBRe und EVG sichern die Interessen der Beschäftigten" (PDF) (in German). Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft. 15 September 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Marie Christin Wiens (2023-09-28). "Bahn-Aufsichtsrat macht Weg frei für Strukturreform – InfraGo kommt". verkehrs RUNDSCHAU (in German). Retrieved 2023-10-01.
  11. ↑ Matthias Roeser (2023-12-07). "Zweifel an rechtlicher Zulässigkeit von Verschmelzung zu InfraGO". Schiffahrt und Technike (in German). TECVIA. Retrieved 2023-12-08.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 "Unser Profil" (in German). DB InfraGO. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  13. ↑ "Im Fokus: Gemeinwohlorientierte Unternehmen stärken und eine Gründungswelle befördern" (in German). Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz. 2023-09-13. Retrieved 2023-10-21.
  14. ↑ "Bedürfnisse von Bürger:innen, Wirtschaft und Umwelt im Fokus". DB InfraGO. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  15. ↑ "Informationen zur Infrastrukturgesellschaft Bahn" (in German). Bundesministerium für Digitales und Verkehr. 2023-09-28. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  16. ↑ "Bahn und Bund legen Schienen-Sanierungsplan vor". Tagesschau (in German). Norddeutscher Rundfunk. 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  17. ↑ Daniela Morling (2023-11-02). "Kostenexplosion bei der Generalsanierung der Riedbahn". DB-watch.de (in German). Netzwerk Europäischer Eisenbahnen. Retrieved 2024-01-02.
  18. ↑ "DB InfraGO AG" (in German). Deutsche Bahn. 2023-12-27. Retrieved 2023-12-28.
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