DIt should come as no surprise that the CEO of Deutsche Bahn, Richard Lutz, finds himself in the motto “Just be brave for 2024”. He has no other choice. The state-owned company is in a miserable condition, the punctuality rate in long-distance transport was a record low 52 percent in November, and next week the train drivers' union GDL will probably paralyze rail transport in Germany. As a boss, you can only say: “For me, courage means doing what is necessary and right – even if it takes strength and effort.” Because 2024 is supposed to bring about a turnaround. “The infrastructure is too old, too broken and too full.” Customers have to pay for it.
The DB is now tackling the renovation of the ailing rail network in a “fundamentally new” way – with major construction sites on a scale that has never been seen before. It starts after the final of the European Football Championship in July. That means: complete closure on the Riedbahn, the route between Frankfurt and Mannheim, one of the busiest connections in the German network, until Christmas. “In just five months,” says Lutz, a notoriously trouble-prone section can be turned into a piece of infrastructure that meets the standard of a new line.
Black painting doesn't get you anywhere
It is the starting signal for the largest renovation and modernization program in the history of the railway, is expected to run until 2030 and will bring construction sites on a similar scale to 2024 year after year. This is the only way to reverse the “downward spiral,” says Lutz, but admits: “It won’t work without restrictions.” At least he promises “reliable information for travelers across all channels.” That would be more than necessary to protect customers' nerves. Because they too need a lot of courage in 2024 – courage to get on a train.
Richard Lutz, Deutsche Bahn
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Image: Illustration Bernd Schifferdecker
For Daimler boss Ola Källenius, the big issue is not reliability or punctuality, but the turn towards electromobility. But he's not in the mood for gloomy scenarios either. He doesn't want to let the recent setbacks in the number of registrations for electric cars spoil his mood. “Of course, change won’t happen overnight; it will probably even take longer than expected,” he says.
“But we are also using this phase of departure to fundamentally question what we do and how we do it. We can now reorganize structures and processes that are slowing us down and thus continue to gain momentum.” One should not look at Germany’s automotive industry with as much pessimism as it did recently: “The German automotive industry is very efficient, competitive and future-proof.” Doom and gloom leads not further. “We should see this transformation as a huge opportunity.” For his company, “We are looking forward to 2024.”
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