Die Güterbahnen, the association representing almost 110 companies that operate or use rail freight services in Germany, today denounced the complete failure of the Plan Federal Transportation Infrastructure 2030 which was launched nine years ago and which - explained the association - has Promises to increase the network have been completely disregarded German railway. Die Güterbahnen pointed out that in the 2025, only four railway projects will enter into operation, for a total of only 44 kilometres of new rails, while the network national road grows by about 9,000 kilometers. The association recalled that in 2016 the then Minister of Transport Alexander Dobrindt, affirmed the "urgent need" of a railway expansion by 2030 amounting to a total of 3,121.5 kilometers, and defined the Federal Plan for the transport infrastructure such as 'the more substantial infrastructure than ever". Die Güterbahnen noted that today that proclamation can be include in the list of rhetorical political announcements having been Only 540.5 kilometres of railway lines have been created to date additional, by the way not all new since lines are included extensively modernised or electrified, and around 80% of the projects is, to a large extent, still in the construction.

"It wasn't anyway - Peter pointed out Westenberger, Managing Director of Die Güterbahnen - a infrastructure program worthy of the name, because Not even the 3,121.5 kilometers planned could have met the growing demand for rail transport. But the fact that only 20% of these lines have actually been built so far, can only be described as a situation of stalemate in slow motion". For decades, he added, governments federal governments have promised to expand the rail network and, instead, They provided cement for the roads. The disproportion is Grotesque. The problem is political. In addition to aging of the existing network that has long been ignored, even the minimum expansion has caused the current qualitative chaos. The data show that the priorities must be redefined".

Die Güterbahnen urged the use of the last five years of the Plan, until 2030, redefining the priorities of investment and making smaller extensions in the main bottlenecks of the network, given that - it has underlined the association - "anyone who wants to guarantee the mobility of goods and people and achieve the objectives climate change in transport cannot afford to lose other decades".