Germany news: Government presents plan for railroad revamp

Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

• A new "Infraplan" outlining next steps in making the railroad network more reliable aims to make the process more transparent 
• Chancellor Merz has stressed Germany's friendship with Israel on the 3rd anniversary of the deadly October 7 terror attacks  
• Leaders from the coalition parties are meeting to discuss the implementation of the government's reform plans
• The SPD has voiced concern at the election of a far-right AfD politician as state parliament speaker with the help of votes from other parties

Here is a roundup of top stories from and about Germany on Wednesday, October 7, 2026:

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Skip next section Plan for railroad revamp sets goals to 2030

October 7, 2026

Plan for railroad revamp sets goals to 2030

The German Transport Ministry has presented a five-year "Infraplan" setting out goals for the improvement of the derelict railroad system.

Transport undersecretary Ulrich Lange said the plan was to be the central compass for the goverment.

"We specify the direction, set priorities and monitor the progress of the implementation," he said as he handed the plan to Philipp Nagl, the chairman of railway operator Deutsche Bahn's infrastructure division, DB InfraGO.

The 160-page plan, which is to be revised each year, covers the period from 2026 to 2030.

The planned renovation measures include repairs, digitization and electrification of routes, reconstruction of stations, noise control and the extension or new construction of lines.

The plan sets out a performance indicator system to make possible a transparent evaluation of the developments in the railroad infrastructure.

There are eight indicators with mandatory targets, such as how many kilometers (miles) of new tracks are laid per year, how many kilometers have been electrified and how many minutes delay are caused by infrastructure defects.

One of the targets set out in the plan is to build 155 kilometers (96 miles) of new track by 2030. 

The plan does not, however, contain provisions for financing the railroad renovations, which currently depend on the government budget.

The Transport Ministry is working on a law on a railroad fund that secures financing for several years.

As an example of the problems currently facing train passengers, in September, nearly every second long-distance train was delayed.

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Skip next section Welcome to our coverage

October 7, 2026

Welcome to our coverage

A warm guten Tag from DW's newsroom on the banks of the still-thirsty Rhine River in Bonn!

In other countries, pet gripes might be the weather, the price of rice or the number of traffic jams.

But here in Germany, one topic of complaint looms particularly large, on our pages as well: the long-neglected railroad system.

The government has now sought to offer reassurance to long-suffering train passengers with a five-year plan outlining the next moves in modernizing railroad infrastructure.

Leaders in the ruling conservative/center-left coalition are also looking at the progress of reform plans in other sectors at a committee meeting.

And German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stressed that "Germany stands firmly at Israel's side" as that country marks the third anniversary of the October 7 Hamas-led attacks.