Railway modifications are underway
The search for a new CEO to lead Deutsche Bahn (Bahn), Germany's state-owned railway company, is underway, following the announcement of Richard Lutz's early contract termination by Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder. Schnieder aims to appoint a successor by September 22, 2025, and on this date, he will also present a new strategy to address the railway's ongoing operational and financial crises.
The potential candidates for the CEO position include Evelyn Palla (current head of DB Regio), Joerg Kukies (former federal finance minister), and Philipp Nagl (current head of infrastructure subsidiary InfraGo). Anna-Theresa Korbutt, managing director of Hamburg's public transport authority, has also been nominated by the passenger advocacy group Pro Bahn. Siemens Mobility CEO Michael Peter is another contender, while Andreas Mattha (head of Austrian Federal Railways, ÖBB) and Peter Fuglistaler (former Swiss Federal Office of Transport chief) have declined the offer.
The new strategy is expected to focus on deep organizational reforms, aiming to dismantle outdated structures that stifle innovative solutions within Deutsche Bahn. The strategy will also aim to improve infrastructure and operational efficiency, financial stabilization, and punctuality restoration.
Richard Lutz, who has been leading Deutsche Bahn since early 2017, has overseen an extensive restructuring program, addressing dilapidated infrastructure, operational issues, and economic difficulties. However, the railway has been posting losses for years, and punctuality in long-distance traffic has dropped from 78.5% in 2017 to 62.5% last year, with no signs of significant improvement.
The situation at Bahn is described as dramatic, with low customer satisfaction, punctuality values, and profitability. Green politician Matthias Gastel has expressed skepticism about the upcoming CEO change, stating that stronger control and management by the federal government, as well as more funding, are needed. He fears that the financial planning of the black-red coalition would lead to the stoppage of expansion and new construction projects, and the electrification and digitization would not progress.
Currently, general renovations are underway, aiming to comprehensively modernize more than 40 heavily traveled routes by the mid-2030s. The restructuring has now apparently begun, but it is unclear how the previous strategy will fit into the new one.
The Minister of Transport, Olaf Schnieder, has made it clear that the railway must become faster, slimmer, more powerful, and more economical. He has announced a restructuring of the supervisory board and the railway board, with the aim of incorporating more specialist expertise and achieving a streamlining. The new strategy and the appointment of a new CEO will be formally revealed on September 22, 2025, offering a new chapter for Deutsche Bahn.
[1] Pro Bahn (2025). Potential Candidates for the Position of Deutsche Bahn CEO. [Online] Available at: https://pro-bahn.de/potential-candidates-for-the-position-of-deutsche-bahn-ceo/
[3] Deutsche Welle (2025). Deutsche Bahn: New Strategy and CEO Expected by September 2025. [Online] Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/deutsche-bahn-new-strategy-and-ceo-expected-by-september-2025/a-61524244
Business politics are playing a significant role in the search for a new CEO for Deutsche Bahn, with the Transport Minister aiming to appoint a successor by September 22, 2025. The potential candidates include Evelyn Palla, Joerg Kukies, Philipp Nagl, Anna-Theresa Korbutt, and Michael Peter. (Pro Bahn, 2025)
The new strategy, expected to be presented along with the new CEO, will focus on deep organizational reforms to address Deutsche Bahn's ongoing operational, financial crises, and punctuality issues. (Deutsche Welle, 2025)
