GERMAN Rail (DB) and associations representing the construction industry have committed to closer cooperation to help implement Germany’s planned shift to rail.
A declaration has been signed by DB, the Federal Association of Medium-Sized Construction Companies (BVMB), the Main Association of the German Construction Industry (HDB), the Central Association of the German Construction Industry (ZDB) and the German Association for Transport Noise Protection (DVLV).
The federal government and DB plan to invest at least €170bn by 2030 to renew the existing network, rebuild and expand lines, introduce stages of the Deutschlandtakt regular interval timetable and Digital Rail Germany.
DB and the construction industry have agreed on basic principles which, in addition to high transparency about the planned construction volume, are primarily intended to ensure fair competition in procurement procedures with DB’s own Bahnbau Group which is responsible for rail construction.
At the same time, the partners, together with other companies in the construction industry, have agreed to continue with the future initiative for railway construction (Zib) plan. More than 100 experts from railway construction companies, associations and DB are working in partnership to develop cross-construction project solutions for construction, recruitment of skilled workers, climate protection and improving the quality of the rail network.
“In the coming years, we will have a historically high sum at our disposal for a more efficient rail infrastructure,” says Mr Ronald Pofalla, DB chief infrastructure officer. “In close cooperation with the construction industry, we will ensure that we can realise construction projects for our customers even faster and better. For more climate-friendly transport by rail, we are focusing on transparency, fair competition and dialogue.”
