Important events
Changes in the Management Board
As part of the restructuring of the Management Board of Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) extensive changes have been made:
- Evelyn Palla was appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer and Chairwoman of the Management Board with effect from October 1, 2025.
- Harmen van Zijderveld took over the Regional Transport Board division on November 1, 2025.
- Bernhard Osburg has been responsible for the Freight Transport Board division since November 15, 2025.
- Karin Dohm took over the Finance Board division on December 1, 2025.
- Two Board divisions, Digitalization and Technology and Infrastructure, were dissolved.
Sale of DB Schenker
DB Group has completed the sale of DB Schenker to the Danish transport and logistics group DSV. This represents an important step in DB Group’s focus on its core business. As decided at the beginning of the sales process, the proceeds from the sale were used to reduce net financial debt.
Expansion of Government funding
The 2025 and 2026 Federal budgets and the Act on the Establishment of a Special Fund for Infrastructure and Climate Neutrality (Sondervermögen Infrastruktur und Klimaneutralität; SVIK) will provide significantly more funding for rail infrastructure than before. In the following years the Federal Government’s funding is to continue at a high level. In total, capital expenditures of about € 107 billion are planned for the Federal rail tracks between 2025 and 2029.
DB InfraGO receives Federal loan
In December 2025, DB InfraGO AG received a low-interest loan from the Federal Government in the amount of € 3 billion to finance capital expenditures in rail infrastructure.
Collective bargaining agreement with the EVG
DB Group and the German Railway and Transport Workers Union (Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft; EVG) reached a new collective bargaining agreement on February 16, 2025. The collective bargaining agreement has a term of 33 months (until December 2027). Job security has been agreed for the duration of the collective bargaining agreement.
Progress with the corridor modernizations
For more quality and punctuality, DB InfraGO is pressing ahead with its plans for corridor modernizations on highly utilized sections of routes. The corridor modernization of the Emmerich — Oberhausen line ran from mid-February 2025 to December 2025. The corridor modernization of the Berlin—Hamburg route has been underway since August 2025. One of the busiest passenger transport routes and an important freight transport axis is set to become one of the most modern and efficient routes in Germany in future.
Modernization of stations
DB InfraGO has redesigned a further 124 stations as stations of the future and modernized them accordingly. This will modernize stations in a cohesive manner, with clear and uniform quality standards.
DB Cargo transformation
The transformation and restructuring plan of DB Cargo AG, which has been underway since the end of 2023, has seen further progress in 2025. The aim of the extensive measures is to ensure the long-term profitability of DB Cargo AG by the end of 2026.
Based on the decisions of the European Commission’s state aid proceedings from 2024, the Management Board of DB Cargo AG has drawn up a restructuring plan as of the end of the 2025 financial year and after the balance sheet date. This has been confirmed by an external party as part of a restructuring report and submitted to the European Commission.
Sale and leaseback agreement for ICE 3neo multiple units
For greater flexibility in terms of vehicle management, a sale and leaseback agreementµ was concluded in 2025 for a total of 25 ICE 3neo multiple units for a period of ten years. As part of this agreement, 14 newly procured ICE 3neo multiple units were sold and leased back in 2025.
Impairment at DB Long-Distance
As a result of changed infrastructure and market conditions, in particular due to the prolonged corridor modernizations and the significantly delayed improvement in punctuality, DB Long-Distance has recognized an impairment µ which resulted in a depreciation. The impairment mainly comprises property, plant and equipment (rolling stock).
Further development of S3 restructuring program
The operational and economic development of DB Group has not met expectations in recent years. The focus in 2025 was, therefore, on a structural improvement of DB Group in the areas of infrastructure, operations and profitability with the S3 restructuring program. The S3 restructuring program, which was previously managed centrally within DB Group, was terminated at the end of 2025. A new, more decentralized control system for quality and profitability is to be established within DB Group. In future, responsibility for achieving targets will be more firmly anchored at the operational level in the business units.
Reorganization of DB Group Effective in 2026
In mid-December 2025, DB Group presented the plan for a “restart” of DB Group. The concept includes a consistent decentralization of tasks and more entrepreneurial action. The new Group structure is intended to allocate responsibilities more clearly as well as streamline structures and work and decision-making processes. It came into effect in January 2026.
At the beginning of 2026, DB Group also launched three immediate action programs so that customers can quickly benefit from a better travel experience. In the first months of 2026, DB Long-Distance and DB InfraGO are to implement concrete projects to improve quality directly and tangibly. This involves more comfort on trains, better customer communication and improved security and cleanliness at stations.
With the plan for the “restart” of DB Group, DB Group is implementing an important part of the Agenda for Satisfied Rail Customers of Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder.