Important events
Additional funds for track infrastructure
The Federal Government intends to provide considerable additional funds in the coming years to modernize the rail network. It has announced on several occasions that it will meet additional rail investment requirements, including through a share of the income from the CO₂ surcharge on the truck toll, which is predominantly used for capital expenditures on track infrastructure. The higher funding will begin in 2024. In order to avoid losing any time for the urgently required measures, the rail infrastructure companies (RICs) of Deutsche Bahn Group (DB Group) prefinanced expenditures in 2023 using DB funds for replacement capital expenditures and additional maintenance expenses, which also serve to maintain the rail infrastructure. These pre-financed expenditures are to be replaced by Government funds. As a further financing building block, the Federal Government announced at the end of 2023 that it would provide a total of € 20 billion through equity increases by 2029.
Implementation of A common good-oriented infrastructure
On December 27, 2023, the retroactive merger of DB Station&Service AG with the former DB Netz AG took place, creating the new DB InfraGO AG.
DB InfraGO AG is intended to shape the future of the German rail infrastructure and is pursuing the objective of developing it from a single source into a high-performance and attractive system again.
Introduction of the Germany-ticket
The Germany-Ticket, which is valid on local public transport throughout the country, was launched on May 1, 2023, at a price of € 49 per month. The ticket is available in digital form and is offered as a monthly subscription. The Germany ticket can be used on any local train throughout the country, such as RB, RE and S-Bahn (metro) trains and, in addition, on public transport such as buses, trams, U-Bahn (subway) trains, etc. of the participating regional fares, transport associations and transport companies in accordance with their scope and conditions, for any number of journeys. The initial interim results for the Germany-Ticket show a high level of acceptance among customers, and intensive use. Since the introduction of the Germany-Ticket, between May and December 2023, DB Regional recorded a monthly average increase in passengers of about 16% compared to the two months before the introduction of the Germany-Ticket.
Collective bargaining negotiations
The 2023 collective bargaining agreement between DB Group and the Railway and Transport Workers Union (EVG) was announced on July 26, 2023, with a settlement forming part of a conciliation procedure. Collective bargaining negotiations with the German Train Drivers’ Union (GDL) began on November 9, 2023. An agreement had not yet been reached by the time the Integrated Report was drafted.
I Squared and Deutsche Bahn sign a purchase agreement for DB Arriva
Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) and I Squared Capital, a leading global infrastructure investor, have signed an agreement on the sale of DB Arriva to I Squared. The transaction is expected to be concluded in 2024, subject to the usual implementation conditions.
Sales process started for DB Schenker
The Supervisory Board of DB AG has given the Management Board the order to examine and prepare a possible sale of up to 100% of DB Schenker shares. At the end of 2023, DB Group launched an open, non-discriminatory process to sell the shares. According to the Supervisory Board’s resolution, funds from a sale of DB Schenker will remain in full in DB Group, and will contribute, among other things, to a significant reduction of DB Group’s debt.
