German freight railway companies have asked the Bundestag Transport Committee to examine disruption on the national rail network.
The operators want Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder invited to the committee’s next meeting on Wednesday. Industry association Die Güterbahnen said freight companies face revenue losses and additional costs running into millions of euros.
The association cited freight train 88897 from the Port of Hamburg to Nuremberg as an example of the disruption. The train, scheduled to run on May 27, took six days after being diverted towards Kassel, parked because of another closure and driver working-time limits, and then sent back via Hanover before continuing towards Nuremberg.
Güterbahnen said the disruption was caused by too many poorly coordinated construction sites, with additional failures affecting signalling, switches and overhead lines. Operators also reported missing timetables and trains waiting up to five hours at red signals.
The association said steel mills had reduced production because of insufficient raw material deliveries. It also warned of risks to iron ore stocks and feed mill supplies after extended construction between Hamburg and Berlin, partial closure between Hamburg and Hanover, and major closures in Bavaria.
Güterbahnen said DB InfraGO’s construction programme may be linked to pressure to spend federal infrastructure funds. The association called for more stable infrastructure financing, management and control of works on the German network.
