DB InfraGO reports on rail network condition

The condition of the German rail network shows early signs of stabilization. This is evident from the current DB InfraGO condition report for the year 2025, which indicates an average condition grade of 3.00 for the entire rail network. This grade corresponds to the previous year’s value and suggests that the long-standing downward trend may have been halted. In particular, the stations improved slightly with a grade of 2.96 compared to 3.03 in 2024. This is partly due to the comprehensive renovation of 124 stations in the past year.

Extensive Data Analysis

For the report, more than 380,000 assets of the track and stations were examined and evaluated according to a grading system. The evaluated elements include bridges, tunnels, supporting structures, tracks, switches, level crossings, signal boxes, overhead lines, and the infrastructure of the stations.

Evelyn Palla, Chairwoman of Deutsche Bahn, commented on the results: “The lowest point of the unrestrained aging of our rail infrastructure seems to have been reached. The overall grade of our rail network remains at the level of 2024 – a sign that the turnaround has not yet been achieved.” She emphasized the need for further modernization measures and called for adequate financial support from the public sector to reduce the investment backlog.

In 2025, approximately 1,900 kilometers of tracks and 1,900 switches were renewed. Construction work took place at over 950 stations, including the renewal of 250 elevators and escalators. Additionally, 103 bridges with a total area of about 25,000 m² were renovated, and 3,700 control and safety technology units were modernized. An additional one billion euros from the federal government secured investments in complex bridges and modern technology.

Investments and Their Impact

Dr. Philipp Nagl, Chairman of DB InfraGO AG, reported investments of around 19.9 billion euros for maintenance and replacement measures in 2025. These investments helped prevent further deterioration of the asset condition, although the average age of the assets continues to rise. “The increased construction volumes led to a lower value for the renewal needs of the assets rated poor, inadequate, and restrictive for the first time in years,” Nagl explained. The renewal needs were estimated at around 110 billion euros for 2024, while they could be reduced to about 106 billion euros in 2025.

The share of assets in the rail network that need to be renewed due to their condition stands at 16.1 percent. In the previous year, this share was 16.8 percent, indicating a slight improvement.

The condition grade for structural engineering, which includes bridges and culverts, improved slightly to 2.59. In contrast, the condition grade for the superstructure, including tracks and switches, deteriorated by 0.06 to 3.02. This is due to 9,600 kilometers of tracks needing renewal. The switches also show a slight decline in evaluation, with 15,800 out of a total of 64,000 switches needing renewal.

The signal boxes, rated at 4.02, remain the category with the worst condition grade. Every second of the approximately 4,000 signal boxes is in need of renewal. The condition grade of level crossings also slightly worsened from 3.58 to 3.65.

In the stations, there is a slight improvement, particularly in the reception buildings and information as well as telecommunications technology. However, there remains a significant need for renewal.

When evaluating the track, the eastern German states perform better, which can be attributed to extensive investments in modernizing the rail network since reunification. The grades range from 2.65 in Thuringia to 2.89 in Brandenburg, while Hesse follows with 2.95. North Rhine-Westphalia again has the lowest overall grade at 3.26.