New strategy for rail Group: web-pit boss attacks – tagesspiegel

17:50 clock Henrik Mortsiefer

The track will be customer-friendly and efficient – and adjusts to slower growth.

The number of knowledge Rüdiger Grube is legendary. Also on Thursday it was the head of Deutsche Bahn flashed in the presentation of financial results for the past year. “For us it’s true in the head,” said the 63-year-old, who leads the railway company for six years. “We want to win.”

What he meant was certainly less the figures – 39.7 billion euros in sales, EUR 988 million profit, 2.03 billion rail passengers in twelve months – but a strategic realignment of the web. Won the Executive Board in 2014, especially the recognition that the path their customers must not lose sight of.

Although the number of train passengers increased by 14 million, as reported pit. But the demands of travelers have grown and competition has become tougher: long distance buses open up with inexpensive offers, the Republic CarConsumer rise in long-distance traffic to the bus, train tickets are compared with much more expensive. Chief Financial Officer Richard Lutz speaks of the “modified price perception of our customers.”

Cheap gas makes driving more attractive

As before, was the competitor’s number one car, adding passenger Board Ulrich Homburg. The sharp drop in gasoline prices reinforced this trend. “This is reflected directly on the demand.” On Wednesday Homburg had presented a new strategy in the long-distance transport, providing more and more modern trains, a broader route network, shorter cycle times, more attractive prices. In the first months of the current year, the long-distance traffic has grown again, Homburg said, though not satisfactory prices.

But it is not only long-distance buses and fuel prices that have occupied the web. Add to that the digitization of all business that provides the Group “in front of the biggest upheaval since the railway reform in 1994,” as mine said. And there are the “material risk” who train spoiled the business last year: Collective bargaining and storms. But the strike by train drivers a negative impact of 166 million euros. The damage left by the storm “Ela”, tore a hole of 60 million euros. The damage caused by the ongoing labor dispute with the union GDL and ECG are sustainable. “But the uncertainty about possible strikes will cause lost customers do not want to plan for longer periods with us,” said Chief Financial Officer Lutz. This was especially true for rail transport, which is under pressure anyway. Strike Caused the train had “a lot of traffic lost to the road”

mine wants drivers and not be driven

It is clear that water. Turn the railway has with their world 310 000 employees at many screws if you want to come true, what Rüdiger Grube wants: to be the driver, not driven. It is a balancing act must succeed. On the one hand chisels web’s largest investment in company history – 35 billion over the next five years. On the other hand, it must leaner, cheaper, more efficiently -., And must provide the owner covenant happy that cashed in 2014 to 700 million euros of profit

“But the Executive Committee in the coming five years, a saving of 600 million EUR realize “pit which justified also increased bonus payments to the six board members said. According to the annual report they have a total of – after about 6.1 million in the previous year – received 10.4 million euros. Key performance indicators had improved, mine commented.

The growth targets are modest

Modest, the Executive Board has become in the growth objectives. This year, the state company will surpass the brands of 41 billion euros and 1.1 billion euros profit. That was 2014, the target, but the train missed it. “Of course we would have liked more” mine said and reiterated: “We will attack.” The long-term growth target but he corrected downwards. Actually, sales should rise by 2020 to 70 billion euros, of which acquisitions should contribute 14 billion euros; the goal had spent three years before mine. “It is not in dispute that since 2012 the world has changed dramatically,” he said. The new default 2020 to reach more than 50 billion euros and only company to buy when there is financial freedom. “We will not enter into any financial adventure.”

The Railroad (DB) “finally realizes that the passengers and their needs are partly responsible for the economic success of the company,” said Heidi Tischmann from ecological Verkehrsclub VCD statements Grube. André Schwämmlein, CEO of MeinFernbus FlixBus said: “We regret that Mr. Grube us remote bus suppliers repeated unjustly abused as a scapegoat for that DB regularly misses its growth objectives.” Fernbusreisende not increased primarily to, but were new customers in the public transport network.