Railway Company Finalizes Potential Candidates for Executive Position Following a Month-Long Hunt.
In a bid to enhance punctuality and improve the overall experience of passengers in long-distance traffic, Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder has unveiled a new strategy titled "Agenda for Satisfied Customers on the Rails."
The strategy comes at a time when necessary construction work often leads to long-term restrictions, especially in densely populated hubs, and regional trains are often very crowded. Passengers have been suffering from poor punctuality due to dilapidated and overloaded rail infrastructure.
As for the new CEO of Deutsche Bahn, several candidates have emerged as potential contenders. These include Michael Peter, CEO of Siemens Mobility and a possible favourite, Evelyn Palla, current head of DB Regio and a potential internal solution, and Martin Seidenberg, CEO of International Distributions Services of Royal Mail. Evelyn Palla is reported to be the likely successor according to multiple sources as of September 2025.
However, the final decision lies with the company's supervisory board, which will meet next Tuesday. It remains uncertain whether the new railway CEO will be announced on Monday along with the new strategy.
The strategy also addresses concerns raised by the railway and transport union (EVG), particularly regarding rising ticket prices and a potential reduction in connections, even in long-distance traffic. The federation aims to keep the federally-owned railway more tightly under control and steer it better in the future, with a focus on the railway infrastructure division InfraGo becoming independent of the corporation.
Trade unions are calling for a more customer-focused approach, including more staff in direct contact with passengers on trains and at stations, and the preservation of travel centers and ticket machines. They believe such measures would help alleviate the issues faced by passengers.
However, some have raised concerns about whether the applicants for the CEO position fully understand the numerous problems at the railway. The search for a successor to Richard Lutz has been ongoing for about a month, with various candidates mentioned in media reports.
Meanwhile, Burkert, the chairman of the railway and transport union, has been warning about the ever-increasing track prices, a kind of rail toll for railway companies, which he believes could threaten the new strategy if the federal government does not address this issue.
As the details of how InfraGo's independence will be achieved and Schnieder's specific expectations for the railway remain unclear, it will be interesting to see how these developments unfold in the coming weeks.
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