advertise A colorful Initiative: “Noah’s Train” in Europe freight trains currently account for more environment-friendly freight traffic to the Rail. In mid-December, where artists painted train of the world launched a climate change conference in the Polish Katowice gen Vienna, made in Berlin and is now heading to the middle of February via Paris can be a destination of Brussels.

The Advertisement has a clear message: The policy is intended to set the course, therefore, to the strong growth in freight traffic will be shifted more in Europe on trains. The goal is for the share of freight Railways by 2030 to increase from a meagre 18 to at least 30 percent.

so Far, the greatest part of the cargo rolls through the streets. And the number is growing and a Europe-wide consequences: congested highways, increased risks of accidents, high air and noise pollution. Truck shipments are much more harmful to the climate than trains, but often faster, cheaper, and more reliable. A reason for this: the years of mismanagement at the state-owned Deutsche Bahn AG, Europe’s largest freight railway.

DB Cargo has problems since the financial crisis

The DB Cargo AG was “in good condition”, – stated in the internal “Agenda for a better railway,” group chief Executive Richard Lutz. The DB-tip must compete next Wednesday for the third Time for Minister of transport, Andreas Scheuer (CSU) to report. Because the whole of the highly indebted state-owned company with its worldwide and more than 300,000 employees, is in crisis. With his Agenda, Lutz wants to bring the DB in the passenger and freight traffic on the Rail back to the front.

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“promises, We want to grow – and the bad years of the past behind us”, the group’s top management in the private and confidential classified 200-page strategy paper for the Supervisory Board. DB Cargo will benefit from the growing freight traffic in Europe and the inevitable shift to Rail, and “by 2030 a successful growth story”. The path is arduous, but there is “a real perspective for the future”.

The documents show, however, how dramatic the situation is – and not just since yesterday. Since the financial crisis, as the economy collapsed worldwide, the economic Situation of DB Cargo “fit for the future”. Since 2008, the market share decreased by DB Cargo in Germany from 79 to 52 per cent (2017). Other railfreight companies were operating successfully, and chased the Ex-monopolist many orders. The losses were “above expectations,” says self-critically.

The consequences are considerable. Since 2015, the DB has a run-in with their freight train of 555 million Euro loss (EBIT), alone 200 million last year. Although freight traffic is growing strongly, shrank additionally, the sales since 2013 from 4.8 to 4.5 billion euros. Than causes of the plight of the weak stores will be named in addition to the margin explicitly “operational weaknesses” and “unstable production”.

There are a few drivers

The decline of DB Cargo AG is a glaring example of mismanagement of highly-paid managers. Alone since 2008, there were six redevelopment concepts and more than 20 change in the management, almost half in the most important area of production. 4000 Posts have been deleted, and locomotives sold, and wagons scrapped, many of the loading points closed. All have accelerated the “decay only” criticized the trade Union EVG years ago.

Ex-rail chief Rüdiger Grube got the Anger of the workers. Against his with McKinsey earned quite has the concept of “future railway” there were massive protests. Cargo-in-chief Jürgen Wilder was replaced and pit put down and finally unnerved. His successor, Lutz tries since then, with the former Daimler-Manager Roland Bosch, to bring the largest freight railway in Europe back on track.

competition in the Rail: Since 2008, the market share decreased by DB Cargo in Germany from 79 to 52 per cent (2017).Photo: REUTERS

This will not be easy. DB Cargo has lost a lot of customers to more efficient private freight Railways, major Client from the steel and chemical industry repeatedly criticized massive supply problems at the state group, even the production vulnerable. The week-long blocking of the Central Rhine valley route due to the tunnel wreck of the DB Netze AG in Rastatt scared her off mid-2017 in addition, many partners in a sustainable manner and caused billions in damage.

it is Clear that, as in the passenger transport staff, and trains are missing. The “weighted quality” of DB Cargo will mainly caused by “acute lack of Resources”, – stated in the confidential Agenda of the DB-to-peak. Accordingly, nearly 3000 train carriages not came about 2018 to October, because drivers were missing. In addition, 40 trains per day were for the same reason, in the section to a standstill, deliveries were delayed. The “personnel gap” is estimated to be 130 driver, 330 jumper and 140 wagon master. In addition, there is a lack of locomotives and railcars to orders.

The policy is in the co-responsibility

Better quality and reliability to cars with the purchase of 100 new locomotives and 4000 goods, more efficient organization and more personnel can be achieved. Group-wide, the DB will adjust alone in 2019, around 20,000 new employees, however, many go similar to in retirement. For higher cargo sales orders from the car to ore, and logistics industry. There should be additional transhipment terminals in Europe and the cooperation with China’s state-owned railway is to be extended for even more transports from and to the far East.

2.1 billion euros to be invested by the DB-to-peak between 2018 and 2023 for the hoped-for turnaround for DB Cargo. In 2023, the cargo train is to retract then 340 million euros on profit and revenue by a third to six billion euros have increased. Whether that will succeed is an open question. The former goal is to leave now and 2018, the loss in freight traffic, has been widely missed. One reason for this is that DB-in-chief Lutz in the new medium-term plan had to correct the to 2023, the expected operating profits of the ailing state-owned company to a total of almost 2.9 billion euros to the bottom.

The triggered-especially at the Federal as the owner of some displeasure. However, the government has, in the view of critics, some of the responsibility for the crisis of their largest group. The policy is a failure, in the strengthening of rail freight transport in Europe over many years, largely recognized in the balance sheet of the European court of auditors as early as 2016, in a 100-page special report.

Switzerland is considered as a model

since 1992, announced the relocation objectives had been repeatedly missed, instead, the share of Rail transport in the decreased domestic market even more. The auditors criticize government-caused handicaps of the freight trains compared to the Truck traffic, unnecessary bureaucracy and providing more money for road than for Rail in Germany.

you can go As a shining example of how it is different, has been called the Switzerland. It has changed little. With the arrival of the “Noah’s Train” in Berlin, the Cargo chief, Bosch for the restart and improved climate protection solicited: “The transport can only be reversible if we get more freight on Rail.” Beautiful words are not enough, experts warn, and to see the policy in the obligation.

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25 years of the Deutsche Bahn AG, A state-owned company in a precarious Constitution

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So toll and diesel taxes for Trucks could be increased and the authorities to proceed sharper against wage dumping, against Overloads and violations during driving and resting times in the haulage business. This would already make the track more attractive – especially if the reboot would succeed, and in the future, the Expansion of the Rail and promoted as strongly as in decades, the road.