Steffen Bilger
Photo: Foto-AG Gymnasium Melle, CC BY 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons, cropped)
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- Oct 9
Deutsche Bahn cuts planned rail corridor renovations to 13 through 2031
Only 13 of 21 planned corridor renovations will go ahead between 2027 and 2031, the transport ministry and Deutsche Bahn said on Friday. The completion date for the full programme is now open, and northwest routes, Bremen-Hamburg and the German side of the Berlin-Szczecin line face later works.
- Oct 9
Germany backs EU approval of Tesla FSD after Tesla agrees to drop 'full self-driving' name
Berlin will push for EU approval of Tesla's FSD system in Germany under the new name Tesla Assisted Driving, while France opposes it and eight countries have already approved it.
- Oct 7
German parliamentary committee approves new Hamburg-Hannover rail line alongside 250 million euro track upgrade
The Bundestag transport committee voted on Wednesday to advance plans for a new rail link between Hamburg and Hannover, allocating 250 million euros for upgrades to existing tracks through Celle and Lüneburg by 2034.
- Oct 6
Germany presents 160-page Infraplan to overhaul rail network by 2030
The German Federal Ministry of Transport has unveiled the Infraplan 2026 in Berlin, establishing binding performance indicators to steer railway renovations and network expansion through 2030.
- Oct 5
Germany expands airport drone detection to Hamburg and Stuttgart after Leipzig incident
Sensor systems became operational at Hamburg and Stuttgart airports on 5 October 2026, expanding detection coverage across eight German commercial hubs following an explosive drone scare in Leipzig.
- Sep 30
German Cabinet approves tougher criminal penalties for attacks on train staff and emergency workers
The German Cabinet has approved legislation raising minimum prison terms to six months for assaults against transit staff, doctors, firefighters, and law enforcement officers.
- Sep 30
Germany launches 2.5 billion euro fuel discount as pump prices fall 13 cents
A temporary tax cut reduced German petrol and diesel prices on 1 October 2026, though elevated crude oil markets and inventory deficits kept prices above two euros per liter.
- Sep 13
Transport Minister Steffen Bilger pushes Deutsche Bahn to restore discounted family reservations
German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger has initiated talks with Deutsche Bahn to reinstate the 10.40-euro flat rate for family seat bookings following a 128,000-signature petition.
- Aug 23
German rail union EVG threatens January strikes over stalled staff protection bill
The EVG railway union warned it will block duty rosters across German regional passenger networks in January unless lawmakers introduce tougher assault penalties by year-end.
- Aug 14
Deutsche Bahn sues regulator over Italo's planned 2028 rail market entry
DB InfraGo filed an expedited lawsuit in Cologne against the Bundesnetzagentur's July 17 ruling requiring it to reserve at least 25% of capacity on busy corridors for competitors, clearing a path for Italo's 2028 entry with 30 Siemens trains.
- Aug 9
German transport minister moves to tie Deutsche Bahn executive bonuses to punctuality targets
Germany's new transport minister Steffen Bilger wants to link Deutsche Bahn executive bonuses to government punctuality targets, as long-distance train on-time rates hover around 60% and fell to 52.6% in July.
- Jul 30
Deutsche Bahn returns to profit with €147 million half-year surplus, but punctuality drops to 59%
Germany’s state-owned railway posted a net profit of €147 million in the first half of 2026, breaking a seven-year loss streak, while long-distance on-time arrivals fell to 59 percent amid record construction and extreme weather.
- Jun 10
Merz says patience with SPD 'at an end' over stalled infrastructure law, coalition scrambles to contain fallout
Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused the SPD of blocking a law to fast-track major construction projects, telling a closed-door Union faction meeting his patience with the Social Democrats was 'at an end.' Coalition leaders moved quickly to limit the damage.
