Independent inspection teams in Germany have begun analysing the condition of 5,000 kilometres of track to establish how the country will spend its €2.75 billion maintenance budget in 2014.
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, Bundesministerium für Verkehr und digitale Infrastruktur (BMVI), commissioned the inspections in order to provide Deutsche Bahn (DB) with detailed data to show where the track maintenance budget should be focussed.
BMVI signed an agreement with DB in 2008 to contribute €2.5 billion annually to rail maintenance. That amount has since been increased to €2.75 billion for 2013 and 2014.
An inspection train operated by Strukton subsidiary Eurailscout and Erdmann-Softwaregesellschaft began its first run through Spreewald near Leipzig in February.
Federal Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt said that Germany would be investing more money in its railways in the next few years, making it even more important that future investment is provided in a ‘targeted manner’.
