EN 
DE 
By Michael Rothe
Mr. Burkert, you are cycling to several stops on your summer tour in Saxony. No more trust in the rail system?
No, even if you might think so after all the bad news. The reason: I visit a lot of businesses in Dresden, Leipzig and Delitzsch. E-bikes are the quickest way to do this and have also proved their worth in Lower Saxony.
At least you'll be there on time.
At least I have it in my own hands.
Rail travelers can't say that.
Unfortunately. The quality and punctuality of Deutsche Bahn are in the basement. Railroad workers shake their heads at a punctuality rate of around 60 percent for long-distance services.
Delays are only counted from six minutes and complete cancellations are not included in these statistics.
That's right. The company has been heading for a bump in the road with its eyes wide open because it has invested too little in the railways for decades. This is taking its toll today, and Transport Minister Wissing has to pay for what his predecessors got him into.
Do you see the politicians and not the Group management as being to blame?
The two go hand in hand. The federal government is the owner of Deutsche Bahn, and former CEO Mehdorn had the political mandate to go public. We are still feeling the effects of the savings made back then. There was far too little money for the railways under the last CSU transport ministers. But many across party lines had given priority to the roads. They are now calling for the railroads to be broken up as a panacea to divert attention from their own mistakes. There will be a tough battle in next year's parliamentary election campaign.
Will it be possible to resist the separation of grid and operation forever?
Everywhere it has been tried in Europe, it has failed. Good rail services work in an integrated group. Switzerland and Austria have shown this. And Great Britain is even taking a step backwards and wants to nationalize.
Supporters call Spain.
There are twelve rail companies on the network there, compared to over 500 here, which is not comparable. Comparisons with Switzerland, where there was a referendum on investment in the railways, are also misleading. Germany would have to spend ten times as much to reach their level. I would be happy if we were that good.
So, extenuating circumstances for Mehdorn and the other railroad bosses after all?
No. The infrastructure is dilapidated. We have been saying for many years that the day will come when the failures can no longer be concealed. Today, the signal box technology of 1912 is still being trained.
Statements from the railroad management read as if the situation had come upon them. Admitting guilt and taking responsibility is different.
Neither board members nor ministers can be held responsible because they did not care enough or did not finance the rail sufficiently. This is spilt milk - even in the case of the delayed and overpriced Stuttgart 21 project.
This raises the question of the role of the Supervisory Board, on which you sit. Should it not prevent such disasters?
We have decided on infrastructure projects with a volume of 45 billion euros. Now we have to live with the fact that there is at least 15 billion less. A supervisory board can't do anything about that. The debt brake is a stumbling block and the lobby for cars and roads is strong.
They say that timetables are now only estimated. To improve punctuality, you suggest that ICE trains should only travel at 200 instead of 250 kilometers per hour.
I have received a lot of encouragement for this from experts. If the entire timetable is decelerated, train drivers can make up for delays of 15 minutes. They don't have that chance at the moment because the timetable is fully utilized. Also, there are usually mixed services. Freight trains and local traffic - the main customer of the hub stations with a 92 percent share - slow down long-distance traffic. If the tracks are full, ICE trains have to wait. Passengers need a stable timetable, regardless of whether they arrive 20 minutes later - the main thing is that they can rely on it.
Is there no alternative to the renovation and closure of 40 railroad lines by 2030?
Yes, because of the location, but it will be a big challenge. Three times as many buses with staff will be needed for the Berlin-Hamburg replacement service. I am curious.
What is your proposed solution?
We need an agreement between the parties for a long-term financing of the transport infrastructure, otherwise we will start from scratch after every general election in terms of how the money is distributed. The current solution with an increase in equity and rising track access charges increases the pressure on returns - and the ticket price for travelers by 20 percent. And if the cost of rail freight transport rises by a good 20 percent, the transport turnaround will go in the wrong direction: onto the roads. We are doing the opposite of climate protection.
In addition to unpunctuality, there are broken toilets, air conditioning, reduced catering service and more. Doesn't that tarnish the honor of railroad workers?
Employees have told me that they no longer wear a DB backpack to avoid being recognized. And there are enough older employees who are ashamed of the company. Quality and punctuality are very important to them.
This is not exactly an advertisement for Deutsche Bahn as an employer.
The time when many boys wanted to become train drivers is long gone. Irregular shift and weekend work leads to high staff turnover - in other areas too. What's more, today's young professionals have a completely different attitude to the world of work. Keyword: "work-life balance".
More free time seems to be the new currency in collective agreements - instead of money.
That's true in view of the pressure to perform for many employees. DB also has to remain attractive, otherwise it won't attract people.
This also applies to your EVG. What is their level of organization?
There are companies where over 90 percent, and more than 70 percent of trainees, are members.
The train drivers' union GDL is stronger in the east.
DB has 304 companies, in 286 of which we have the majority. According to the Collective Bargaining Unity Act, our collective agreements apply there, and those of the GDL in the remaining 18.
Was the law, once triggered by many rail strikes, a mistake?
Yes.
But as a member of the Bundestag at the time, you were in favor of it.
Yes.
... and now have a different view?
From experience. The rifts in the workforce have become deeper and the hostility even greater.
GDL boss Weselsky is retiring next week. Do you hope that the relationship between the EVG and his designated successor Mario Reiß will be pacified?
On a human level, yes. We've known each other for a long time on the Supervisory Board of DB Cargo. He's under pressure, the expectations are high. You have to see how he deals with it. Arguing only helps the employer. We could achieve much more together.
Also prevent the recently announced 30,000 job cuts?
The announcement by Deutsche Bahn AG has led to great uncertainty. We were able to clarify this: No job cuts in operations.
So no battlefield for the EVG?
There really is a need for action. The overhead in the administration is too high, we have too many hierarchical levels.
On the other hand, there is real violence in more and more stations and trains.
Unfortunately. Last year, a good 15,000 assaults and 3,000 serious assaults were reported and one in eleven women experienced sexualized violence. And there is still a number of unreported cases of up to 70 percent. The perpetrators come from all social classes. According to surveys, four out of five employees experience verbal violence. Some customer advisors have given up their jobs as a result.
How can the problem be tackled?
We are calling for body cameras for staff, video surveillance at train stations and double patrols on local rail and passenger transport.
On Sunday, Saxony elects a new state parliament. Then they will be gone again ...
... my concern remains. I know that many trade unionists also vote AfD, despite our incompatibility resolution for functionaries. On Sunday, the world will be looking at Saxony and Thuringia. The shift to the right is stirring up fears not only in Germany. History must not be allowed to repeat itself.
