German government and Deutsche Bahn to invest close to USD 100 billion in railway infrastructure

The German government has signed a deal with the national railway company Deutsche Bahn to invest nearly USD 100 billion in the country's railway infrastructure over the next decade.

According to the agreement, the federal government will contribute EUR 62 billion (USD 69 billion) for maintenance and modernization of the existing rail network whereas the Deutsche Bahn will contribute EUR 24 billion ( around USD 27 billion) to the plan to replace the old tracks and railway bridges, AP news agency reports.

The Minster of Transport and Digital Infrastructure, Andreas Scheuer said that these investments, increased by 54% compared to the previous planning period, would herald a “shining age” for German railways.

German Government has pledged to expand rail travel as part of its efforts to cut emissions of planet-heating greenhouse gases from transportation. It recently agreed to cut a value-added tax for train tickets, reducing the cost of long-distance journeys by about 10%.

German government

Deutsche Bahn

Andreas Scheuer

railway infrastructure

cutting emissions of greenhouse gases

tax for train tickets

long-distance travel