(de-news.net) – With effect from October 1, 2025, Evelyn Palla has been named CEO by the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Bahn AG. She brings experience from leading DB Regio since July 2022, and she follows Richard Lutz. Palla, who was born in South Tyrol, worked as an executive at ÖBB and E.ON until joining Deutsche Bahn in 2019.

Werner Gatzer, the chairman of the board, commended her ability to spearhead transformation initiatives, pointing to her strategic achievements in regional transportation. Palla’s appointment was characterized as a “fresh beginning” by Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU), who supported her as his preferred candidate. He highlighted her performance history and institutional knowledge.

Palla obtained board confirmation in spite of the railway union EVG’s resistance. She starts her job in the midst of urgent issues like outdated infrastructure and low punctuality rates. To address these problems, Schnieder recently unveiled the main components of a reform proposal. The new head of Deutsche Bahn stated in her opening remarks that providing high-quality services will be her first focus. She declared that “passenger pleasure is key” and promised to reestablish a culture of quality throughout the DB Group.