Covid-19 pandemic
The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the demand for passenger transport were still noticeable in the first quarter of 2022. Since April 2022, however, there has been a significant recovery. However, the ramp-up period of the demand varied greatly across the individual market segments of German passenger transport in 2022. While long-distance rail passenger transport has largely reached pre-Covid-19 levels again over the course of the year, regional rail passenger transport (with the exception of the special effects of the 9-Euro-Ticket) remained noticeably below the pre-Covid-19 level.
Demand in rail freight transport has not been significantly influenced by the effects of Covid-19 since the previous year. The pre-Covid-19 level was almost reached again in 2022.
In freight forwarding and logistics, DB Schenker benefited in 2022 from an exceptionally strong price and margin development that extended into the fourth quarter, which also resulted from Covid-19-related restrictions in China.
In 2020, Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) and the Federal Republic of Germany (Federal Government) agreed to jointly bear the effects of the Covid-19 crisis on Deutsche Bahn Group (DB Group). In this context, the Federal Government continued its measures for partial compensation of Covid-19-related damages 2022:
- The Covid-19-related support for train-path prices in long-distance transport was extended at a reduced level until the end of 2022.
- Despite the lack of a dividend payment by DB AG, the Federal funds to maintain the rail infrastructure were also paid in full in 2022.
- Following the approval of the European Commission, further compensation for Covid-19-related damage was paid out.
- The industry solution for regional transport in Germany was also continued in 2022. The Federal Government and the Federal states continue to share half of the costs for this.
