Rail delays in Germany drive Deutsche Bahn Boss Lutz to the exit
Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz is being forced out early after years of mounting delays, financial losses, and widespread criticism of Germany’s troubled rail giant. Although his contract was due to run until 2027, the 61-year-old will stay on only until a successor is appointed, Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder announced.
Schnieder described the company’s situation as “dramatic,” citing plunging customer satisfaction, deteriorating infrastructure, and declining punctuality. Calls for Lutz’s departure had intensified after last year’s Euro 2024 soccer tournament, when delays drew international ridicule. Some politicians even pushed for breaking up Deutsche Bahn to restore its credibility.
Under Lutz, long-distance train punctuality had effectively collapsed. The rate went down from 78.5% in 2017 to just 62.5% last year, while Deutsche Bahn continued to post heavy deficits.
Rehabilitating the rail network already started with roughly 40 major overhauls on key routes such as on the busy Hamburg–Berlin line. But the overhaul process calls for complete closures of individual routes for several months. The situation is likely to alienate even more customers confronted with additional delays.
Deutsche Bahn CEO became to controversial
Since the change of government in April, Lutz had increasingly adopted a confrontational stance. Despite additional multi-billion euro commitments from the federal government, he warned that the funds were insufficient to make Deutsche Bahn truly fit for the future.
He also pointed to the lack of subsidies to offset track access charges — a kind of rail toll. Without higher federal support, he cautioned, the company might have to consider reducing its long-distance services. Critics interpreted that as a veiled threat, infuriating Schnieder.
The government has pledged further structural and leadership overhaul. Minister Schnieder will in fact present his “Agenda for Satisfied Customers” on September 22. The reform blueprint aims at making Deutsche Bahn leaner and more efficient. “Ideally, we will also be able to present the new CEO by then,” explained Germany’s transport minister to media.
Rail trade union leaders warned of a leadership vacuum, while the Green Party demanded more federal oversight and funding. Critics, however, see Lutz’s exit as an opening for a fresh strategy and new leadership to rescue Germany’s struggling rail giant.
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