First female boss of Germany's crisis-hit railways vows 'new start'

"The new chief of Germany's beleaguered rail network vowed Monday to make a new start, with the state-owned operator widely criticised for deteriorating services. Evelyn Palla is taking the helm of Deutsche Bahn, which was once widely admired for its punctuality and efficiency but now maligned for frequent delays and cancelled trains. Almost 40 percent of long-distance services arrived late last year, not including the ones that were cancelled."

"Promising a 'new start', Palla conceded that improvement would take time. 'There is no quality switch we can suddenly flick and then all is good,' said the incoming chief executive officer, an Italian who has been at Deutsche Bahn since 2019. 'Renewing railway infrastructure is a marathon, not a sprint.' The 51-year-old replaces Richard Lutz, who was sacked as CEO last month by the government of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which took power in May and has pledged to get a grip on the crisis at Deutsche Bahn."

"At a joint press conference with Palla, Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder said everyone wanted to be 'proud' of Germany's trains again. 'We need to show that government can work and also show that the trains can work,' he said. But highlighting the challenges ahead, he also pushed back punctuality targets. Deutsche Bahn is now aiming for 70 percent of long-distance trains to be on time by 2029 -- the previous deadline was 2026."

Evelyn Palla becomes CEO of Deutsche Bahn and pledges a new start amid worsening punctuality and cancelled services. Nearly 40 percent of long-distance trains arrived late last year, excluding cancellations. Palla warned that improvements will take time and rejected any quick fixes, describing infrastructure renewal as a marathon. The government removed Richard Lutz and set a revised target of 70 percent on-time long-distance services by 2029. Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder pledged substantial funding, including 100 billion euros earmarked for renewal by 2029, while critics point to years of under-investment and lower per-capita spending than neighbours.

Read at The Local Germany