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Eder calls for investment: finally modernize train stations as areas of fear!
Mobility Minister Katrin Eder criticizes the privatization of railways in Rhineland-Palatinate and calls for investments in safe train stations.
Eder calls for investment: finally modernize train stations as areas of fear!
In Rhineland-Palatinate, the train stations are the focus of politics and the public. Mobility Minister Katrin Eder found clear words and described the “failed privatization” of Deutsche Bahn (DB) as one of the main reasons for the uncertainty at many train stations. She shed light on the worrying conditions at the train stations, which are increasingly becoming “nightmares” due to the neglect of public infrastructure. According to Eder, investments in cleanliness, better lighting and free toilets are urgently needed. She also calls for active support for municipalities in order to buy back empty station buildings and thus revitalize them. This assessment was supported by a new framework agreement between Rhineland-Palatinate and the DB to modernize train stations, into which over 580 million euros are to flow, especially in rural regions. Only around a third of the 154 station buildings in Rhineland-Palatinate belong to the DB or the municipalities, which means that 63% are privately owned.
An exciting development in this area is Deutsche Bahn's program, which aims to modernize a total of 100 train stations in Germany by 2025. This is part of a wider plan to modernize 950 stations. The goal is clear: uniform quality standards and more comfort for travelers. The desired “train stations of the future” should have more weather protection, new waiting furniture, state-of-the-art traveler information and better accessibility. Furthermore, an attractive design and the integration of regional identity are planned. Better lighting at train stations also helps to improve the quality of stay.
Investments and reforms
The DB has set itself high goals and would like to enable more comprehensive renovations through a new legal financing regulation. With the Federal Railway Expansion Act (BSWAG), which was amended in 2024, the station buildings will be integrated into the financing logic, which will significantly improve the framework conditions for modernization. The condition rating of the stations has already been improved from 3.09 to 3.03, and the DB is continuing a high pace of modernization in order to stop the aging process of the infrastructure.
Another important step is the establishment of the competence center for station forecourt and connecting mobility in 2024. This is intended to help cities and municipalities to better design and plan their transport stations and reception buildings. Around 113 stations have already been converted into future stations. Significant construction work on additional stations is also planned for 2025, particularly on the busy Hamburg – Berlin route.