A new construction
principle for a
greater proximity to the business
Customer orientationFocus on our customers
For greater customer focus, we have assigned a central quality control function directly to the Chief Executive Officer – meaning that quality from the customer’s perspective is now a matter for the CEO. At the same time, the steering of the business units has been developed further with a view to achieving greater customer impact. To this end, the CEOs of the individual Group companies will be held more accountable than before for profitability and quality. This means responsibility for targets and effective management where they are needed. At the same time, we are focusing our actions on the needs of our customers with three immediate action programs designed to target obvious customer frustrations.
DecentralizationMaking decisions where they have an impact
With the Group restructuring, the focus is now on divisionality and entrepreneurship: this means strengthening the operating units and focusing on a small number of really relevant targets. We are consistently anchoring operational responsibility and decision-making powers in the Group companies. As close as possible to our customers. In this way, we are turning doers into decision makers, all of whom are making a contribution to the “restart” in their area of responsibility.
StreamliningFaster thanks to less complex structures
The “restart” also means leaner structures, work processes and decision-making channels. The number of Board divisions was reduced by two. In addition, many functions and departments at the levels below the Management Board will be eliminated and we will continue to significantly reduce overhead. In this way, Group management is also making its contribution to the “restart.” This means that decisions can be made more easily and effectively. We are combining economic requirements with social responsibility and shaping DB Group’s “restart” holistically – from the strategic personnel architecture to competence development and restructuring based on social partnership. Employees who are affected by change measures receive comprehensive support, for example through the Job Restart orientation program.
ImplementationMaking improvements direct and tangible
Simply. Doing. Better. Our focus is on the speed of implementation. We are therefore implementing three immediate action programs from 2026 that will have a direct customer impact: we are improving security and cleanliness, increasing the availability of on-board dining services and toilets and improving cleaning, and providing information more quickly and ensuring the consistent and helpful provision of information. We want our customers to feel that things are progressing at Deutsche Bahn. Each immediate action program includes individual targets that document our progress. In the long term, infrastructure modernization remains the most important driver for greater quality.
Simply. Doing. Better.
Our immediate action programs for a better railway
We are already providing an improved travel experience in 2026
Immediate action program for security and cleanlinessWelcome to our stations
For the “restart”: stations are our calling card. They must be safe, clean and noticeably better for our customers. To this end, we are strengthening the presence of our security personnel and are working together with the Federal Police to expand the use of video technology. And we are significantly increasing the budget for cleaning. So that our guests feel welcome at our stations.
More security and cleanliness at stations lead to a return to more confidence in a functioning railway
Railway employees are taking responsibility: for our passengers and for a pleasant stay at the station. We are getting to work: during the big spring clean in 2026, one in every four stations in Germany will get an extra clean. Repairs will be carried out quickly and in one go by new, mobile maintenance crews: painting a graffiti-covered wall here, repairing a display case there. Our 44 teams can be on-site throughout Germany at short notice. So that people feel that Deutsche Bahn is making progress.
Immediate action program for more comfort on long-distance trainsA noticeably better travel experience on long-distance trains
A more reliable range of food and beverages makes the travel experience on board even more enjoyable. To this end, we are improving the logistics and supply of our on-board dining service. For more satisfied passengers on our trains.
More employees for wellbeing in ICE and IC trains
Cleanliness is essential for a pleasant on-board experience. This applies to tables and seats as well as to clean and functioning restrooms. That is why twice as many employees will be cleaning and sanitizing our trains in the core network during journeys in the future. Fault-prone components in restrooms and in the galley will be replaced preventively. Our aspiration: all trains should start the day freshly cleaned, neat and tidy. If a train becomes heavily soiled en route, train managers have the option of calling ahead to arrange special cleaning teams for their train.
Immediate action program for customer communicationPresenting reliable and understandable data
Making rail travel easier: we communicate immediately and clearly. We provide reliable and helpful information. To achieve this, we are investing in the quality of our data. And in information channels at the station, on the train and digitally. We pass on information as soon as it is available. For a more relaxed journey.
Reliable and actionable information for more satisfied passengers
Anyone traveling by rail needs to be able to plan well. To help them achieve this, we provide our customers with reliable information at all times. Fast, easy to understand, and available across all channels. So that passengers can plan their trip independently and be optimally informed at every step of the way. We are increasing transparency. And creating trust. So that our customers can be satisfied with the information about their trip at all times.
Focus on infrastructure modernizationWe are making the rail network fit for the future
We are renewing the foundations
- In 2025, capital expenditures of about € 19 billion were made in the rail infrastructure.
- Important lines were completed, including the commissioning of the Dresdner Bahn/Anhalter Bahn and the recommissioning of the Ahrtalbahn, which was destroyed in the 2021 floods.
Modernization of important rail corridors in full swing
Since August 2025, DB InfraGO has been modernizing one of the busiest railway tracks in Germany, the Hamburg — Berlin high-performance corridor. Work on the first construction phase of the superstructure was successfully completed by the end of 2025. Until recommissioning, extensive work is still being carried out on the command and control technology and at stations along the line. In February 2026, the project teams for the Hagen — Wuppertal — Cologne and Nuremberg — Regensburg corridors also entered the intensive construction phase of the corridor modernization.
In 2025, we developed a further 124 stations into stations of the future
In 2025, DB InfraGO carried out modernization measures at about 950 of the about 5,700 stations. We are breaking new ground in modernization: wherever possible, stations are planned and modernized at the same time, that is the traffic station, the con course building and the surrounding area as a single entity. Examples include Bad Bentheim, Hamburg-Ottensen, Dortmund-Marten, Langenau, Bad Salzungen, Halberstadt, Dresden-Plauen, Oberkotzau, Beelitz-Heilstätten, Bad St. Peter-Ording, Nievern, Darmstadt-Lichtwiese and Bubach. A total of 124 stations were upgraded to these standards in 2025.
