(de-news.net) – Deutsche Bahn plans to reduce positions within its group management by at least 30 percent as part of a comprehensive corporate reorganization aimed at fundamentally reshaping internal structures. Supervisory Board Chair Werner Gatzer has indicated that a central element of this reform is the elimination of an entire hierarchical layer situated between senior management and the Management Board, a move intended to simplify reporting lines and accelerate decision-making processes.
The supervisory board has expressed unequivocal support for the strategic direction set by Chief Executive Evelyn Palla, whose leadership has emphasized that leaner and more coherent organizational structures are essential to improving responsiveness and effectiveness across the group. With approximately 3,500 positions currently assigned to the group management level, the planned reduction implies that close to 1,000 posts could be phased out as the restructuring progresses.
Deutsche Bahn targets operational break-even
This organizational overhaul is unfolding in parallel with an expected financial stabilization of the company. Gatzer has stated that Deutsche Bahn is likely to achieve an operational break-even result in 2025, which would represent the first positive outcome in nearly a decade and mark a notable departure from recent years of losses.
Although the final annual financial statements have yet to be completed, the company anticipates avoiding an operating deficit, calculated before interest and taxes, suggesting an improvement in the underlying profitability of its core transport and infrastructure activities. At the same time, management has cautioned that this projected turnaround does not eliminate the company’s broader financial challenges, which remain substantial and continue to justify a focus on structural consolidation and disciplined cost management.
Openness to dedicated infrastructure fund for long-term rail investment
In operational terms, only limited short-term improvements are expected, particularly with regard to punctuality in passenger services. Both the Management Board and the Supervisory Board have underscored that the immediate objective is to stabilize performance rather than to deliver rapid or dramatic gains, given the accumulated effects of decades of insufficient investment in rail infrastructure. Gatzer has emphasized that addressing these long-standing deficits will require sustained commitment and patience before service quality reaches levels that align with public expectations. Looking beyond the current phase of reorganization, he has also signaled openness to more durable and predictable funding mechanisms, including consideration of a dedicated infrastructure fund modeled on international examples. Such an approach, he suggested, could enhance long-term planning certainty for rail investment and support a more stable foundation for future improvements.
