Signal on red – railway runs billion loss a – Reuters Germany

Berlin the permanent crisis of the freight division, the web has deeply torn in the red.

With a loss of 1.3 billion euros of state-owned company for over ten years announced on Wednesday for the first time a loss. The company had the value of the goods business on track to more than one billion down correct and high extra expenses for the restructuring of the Group recorded what the win over ate. “We have not achieved what we set out,” admitted Bahn CEO Rüdiger Grube one which now is under pressure.

Last had mine in 2012 the self-set win -Plan at least almost reached. Now he plans to cut thousands of jobs and hundreds loading areas to be in the black again already this year. Federal Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) called from the web in the coming years an effort to get back on track: “The railway has to improve quality and service continues, the focus to the customers and focus on the restructuring of the Group you have to invest, modernize. digitize “

On taking office in 2009 mine had promised just that: He wanted that.” bread and butter -Business “- ie passenger and freight transport in Germany – bringing into shape. In addition, the debt until the end of 2014 should drop to ten billion euros. Instead, they went up, and will amount this year with over 19 billion euros almost double. In addition, the punctuality figures broke in Highway 2015 partially every third train was delayed. The Federal Government also the String plans for freight to be seen critically, since it is also for reasons of climate policy objective to bring more traffic to rail.

Grube contract expires at the end 2017, the year of the election, from. An extension would have to be decided in one year by the Supervisory Board. Mine now bears more responsibility because he had replaced several board members including the head of the rail freight last year, he made partly responsible for the crisis.

EXPENSIVE TRAIN DRIVER STRIKE

freight alone resulted in a loss of nearly 200 million euros. Keep track missed even without the special depreciation allowances and extra expenses their already lowered profit forecast before interest and taxes (EBIT) of two billion euros. EBIT shrank to 1.76 (2014: 2.1) billion euros together. According to pit the strike by train drivers union GDL loaded the company with 300 million euros. Although sales rose for the first time slightly above 40 (39.7) billion euros, but this was mainly due to currency effects, since the web profited with their foreign business from the weak euro.

In the long-distance passenger numbers increased thanks to numerous promotions despite the competition of the long distance buses again. The train had also recently dispensed with price increases. Board Berthold Huber hinted that the company wants to be careful in the future here. The customers are just very sensitive on the price. “We would do well to pick up as many passengers in the trains.” but this purpose must also punctuality are better. The announced 2016 free seat reservation in the second class, there will be no earlier 2017th

For the planned quality offensive with more cleanliness, punctuality and free Internet in the second class must increase its debt the web. They lay the end of 2015 at 17.5 billion euros, which meant that the interest payments in years amounted to more than one billion euros for the first time. To bring money into the company, the international passenger transport and freight forwarding business to be partially sold. Recently were revenues for around 4.5 billion euros in the week. However, there is resistance on the supervisory board, so that no decisions are taken and a sale in 2017 is the earliest possible.