Railway summit in Stuttgart: Future of rail traffic is on the brink!

Railway summit in Stuttgart: Future of rail traffic is on the brink!

On July 1, 2025, a railway summit takes place in Stuttgart, in which high -ranking representatives of the state government and Deutsche Bahn (DB) take part. Under the direction of Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann and Transport Minister Winfried Hermann, they discuss the future development of rail transport in Baden-Württemberg. Richard Lutz, the CEO of the DB, and Philipp Nagl, the CEO of DB Infrago are also present. The goal of the summit is to improve the main axes, side distances, large nodes, train stations as well as local transport projects and the digitization of the rail.

The railway summit comes at a crucial time, because the need to modernize and digitize the rail infrastructure is becoming more and more urgent. Experts emphasize that rail traffic must be revolutionized by punctual and reliable processes as well as an increased timing of the trains. The traffic turn plan provides for digitization to promote faster, whereby the focus is on the “Digital Schiene Germany” project. However, this project has been stopped for the time being since its planning in 2018, as reported.

challenges in digitization

The current rail infrastructure is characterized by outdated technology, which leads to delays and efficient operation in Germany. Often trains have to stop if they drive on the same track, which could be avoided by modern digital control. An important aspect of the summit will be the discussion about the conversion to the European Train Control System (ETCS), which has already been implemented in countries like Austria, Switzerland and Norway.

In Germany, however, only two routes with ETCS are currently in operation. The condition of the signal boxes is worrying: there are over 565 mechanical signal works and more than 1000 relay stations, while modern digital signal works are only used to a limited extent. The Stuttgart 21 project is considered forward -looking because it should be the first with digital signal box and ETCS.

financing and future prospects

The financial situation of digitization is another challenge; The costs for the "digital rail Germany" now amount to 68.9 billion euros after they were originally valued at 32 billion euros. DB Infrago has therefore temporarily stopped digitization in order to concentrate on the renovation of existing routes. Although the railway and the Ministry of Transport react to the digitization strategy, the coordination process is described as chaotic.

The critical voices in the industry, as well as the pressure on Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing, will finally take clear measures to continue digitization. A central total control by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport is required to make developments more efficient and targeted.

At the same time, the Baden-Württemberg regional directorate will present its current labor market report for June today. In Freiburg, too, the judgment is expected against a 35-year-old who is said to have killed his wife in June. Due to new evidence, the process extends longer than expected, while the public prosecutor is calling for a conviction for murder.