Development of infrastructure

Station campaign: Record capital expenditures in stations

Between 2020 and 2024, € 9.0 billion should be channeled into the modernization and maintenance of stations. The Federal Government and the Federal states provide significant funding to modernize station infrastructure, especially to improve accessibility. Outstanding projects include the renovations and redesigns of the main stations in Dortmund, Frankfurt am Main, Munich and Stuttgart, among others. A great deal of spending is also being made in many smaller and mid-­sized stations, for example in new escalators, elevators, information boards for passengers, benches, signage systems, floors and ramps for accessibility.

Capacity and frequency recording

In order to enable growth in passenger numbers, the capacity of the stations must be ensured. The first step is to create transparency about possible bottlenecks and their causes. For this purpose, passenger counting and further analyses at relevant stations are conducted. In the next few years, digi­-tal counting methods will be used to enable sustainable capacity management. A system for frequency recording that was tested in Stuttgart is being developed further and, possibly, rolled out to other stations.

Accessibility at passenger stations

In the year under review, we improved accessibility at about 100 stations. More than three-­quarters of all stations now have step-­free access and more than half of all platforms are equipped with the tactile guidance system. We invest in numerous smaller and medium-­sized stations, for example with new escalators, elevators, ramps, seating, digital traveler information and multi-­sensory guidance systems. We put the fully accessible configuration of stations in particular focus with these measures. Now, 78% of the 5,400 passenger stations are step-­free – meaning that we have already reached 84% of passengers. For those who are blind or visually impaired, more than 5,000 of the 9,200 platforms are already fitted with tactile, i.e. touch-­based, signage systems on the floor of the platforms. Beyond that, all newly installed elevators provide tactile controls and a speech module.

Modernization, commissioning of and building new stations

• At the turn of the year 2019/2020, two new stations, Gateway Gardens and Hamburg Elbbrücken, were commissioned. The renovation of the western horizontal block at Hamburg central station was also completed.
• At the beginning of December 2019, Ingolstadt Audi station was opened. The Free State of Bavaria, the city of Ingolstadt, Audi AG and DB Group have invested € 15 million. From the station there is direct, fully accessible access to the factory premises and to the public transport network.
• In March 2019, the Federal state of Lower Saxony, the Lan­­des­nahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen (public transport company of the Federal state of Lower Saxony), the Regionalverband Großraum Braunschweig (Regional Association of Greater Braunschweig) and DB Netze Stations signed a framework contract for the re­com­mis­sion­­ing or new construction of a total of 19 traffic sta­­tions in Lower Saxony in the coming years. Total costs amount to about € 50 million.
• In May 2019, the Brandenburg Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning and DB Netze Stations concluded a framework agreement. It has a volume of € 170 million. New fully accessible access points, improved information services, more seats and longer platforms, among other things, are being built at 150 stations.
• In June 2019, Saxony-­Anhalt completed a framework agreement with DB Netze Stations. In the period 2019 to 2022, the Federal state and DB Group are investing about € 70 million in a total of 80 stations.
• Also in June 2019, Nahverkehr Rheinland GmbH (NVR) and DB Netze Stations signed financing agreements for the modernization of 17 stations in the Rhineland. In total, NVR and DB Netze Stations are investing about € 64 million to modernize and improve stations.
• A total of € 34.5 million is planned for 25 stations in Saxony by the year 2025. The aim is to improve the accessibility of the platforms and the appearance of the stations. The Free State of Saxony, the Upper Elbe Transport Association, the Federal Government and DB Netze Stations are participating in the financing.