Power Struggle: The train loses a capable manager – WirtschaftsWoche

Infrastructure Board Volker Kefer takes off his hat, because he did not get the problems Stuttgart 21 in the handle. The step is consistent. However, the Group thus lost one of the main man.

At the end of step is only logical. Volker Kefer, 60 years old and responsible as a board for the infrastructure and technology at Deutsche Bahn, will dropping out of his until September 2017 current contract. As soon as a successor is found, he will step down.

web-Vice Kefer 21 are no good figure at the railway station project Stuttgart. In the conciliation talks between opponents and advocating S21 he had tinted the end of 2010, the station could perhaps open of 2019. Now it will probably 2023. And the costs threaten to spiral out of control. 6.5 billion euros it will be noisy track internal forecast. The sum draws the agreed financial framework completely. The problem: A half a billion euros of which is not yet approved by the supervisory board of the web

Kefers expertise was indispensable

that Kefer now just over S21 stumbles, is an irony of history. Kefer was the face of the web at the conciliation talks to S21. His quiet, eloquent and technically convincing appearance has secured him inside and outside the company wide recognition.

As Bahn CEO Grube really wanted to bring a woman to the board, Kefer should give a range: the attractive business with high-speed trains or dröge rail network. Grube asked Kefer to keep a difficult infrastructure. Because Kefers expertise

was indispensable. = The margins for Stuttgart 21

• How was the risk assessed so far?

  the charge of Stuttgart 21 railway board Volker Kefer had admitted in summer 2013, with 80 per cent probability will the project in 2022 finished, with 40 percent until 2023. Against this background, it seems unrealistic that putting on hold in 2022 is. Officially the train stops at the completion date for the Stuttgart rail node 2021. firmly, even at the pressure must be maintained on Companies involved. Teams like Baden-Württemberg Transport Minister Winfried Hermann (Green) hold 2025 feasible.

• What is the possible delay?

  the progress is always braked by new editions about the fire or species protection. Another reason is sluggish building permits – it is unclear whether the Federal Railway Authority is responsible with possibly incomplete documentation as supervisor with insufficient personnel or the web. Delays hit so far to book, as the railway company is required to maintain longer than expected. And the proceeds from the operation of the station moving ever further into the distance.

• How exactly does financial planning, is seen as?

  the buffer in 2013 adopted by the railway supervisory budgetary envelope of 6.526 billion euros is almost exhausted, according to a new forecast of the company. If all risks newly identified one councils, only 15 million euros remained for further uncertainties in the coming years. This results in a so-called countermeasures demand of 524 million euros, which can be found in internal documents for the next Supervisory Board meeting this Wednesday (June 15) in Berlin. There, the DB executive will need to be in for strong criticism reportedly. Vice-chief warden Alexander Kirchner told the German Press Agency, he would demand clarification from management.

• How could recoup this sum again the web

  There are initial considerations – such as the shift operation at construction sites expand, to build a new road bridge at the station, to facilitate the construction, and to optimize the construction process further.

• which new risks calculates the path a?

  There are three major items. Additional costs of EUR 144 million could result from a change in tunnel construction to prevent damage caused by the swelling mineral anhydrite. 147 million euros are due to risks that occur more than 50 percent probability, for example, the species and noise protection. The largest block is 290 million euros, which are probably caused by a slower progress due to sluggish or newly applied for building permits. So delays came about because the track laid in the underground station, the emergency stairs at the ends of the platforms and will have to interpret the fire for much stronger fire.

• is the green-black coalition in Stuttgart 21 agree?

  In the coalition negotiations the issue was highly controversial. The CDU wanted the railway concession signal; the Greens wanted definitely the previous strict refusal to participate in additional costs not soften. According to the coalition agreement, the country will consist of possible new financing talks on “that over and above the contract cost shares amounting to 930.6 million euros out of the country pages no payments are due.” At the meeting of the steering committee on June 30, the web has to explain the situation to the project partners of the country, national airport, city and region Stuttgart. . This vehemently demanding more transparency a

• the works are as far advanced ?

  The S-21 tunnel system of almost 60 kilometers in length is created to a quarter. The foundation stone of the bottom plate of the deep station is targeted for September at the latest 2016th From web-view event is the biggest milestone before commissioning the new station – when ever may be this

• Is an exit yet possible

  action against Stuttgart 21 said: yes. A modernized railhead is traffic-technically and financially far more favorable than the previous passage solution appraise the critics at the expense of 9.8 billion euros. And what to do with the pit? The can view the S-21 opponents serve as station for long distance buses.

it is precisely this expertise of the web is now lost. Kefer knows the group and the technical problems on the rail network like no other. Kefer was also the driving force behind the reform program “future path”, which the Group presented the end, 2015. . Although the measures listed there came much too late, but they are right and merit Kefers

first time in years, the web seemed to have identified the real problems and wanting to seriously address: inadequate processes at the stations, lotter exemplary care of the tracks and bungling maintenance of ICE trains – to name a few

Manager with passion for railways

the resignation. Kefer of tears a hole. Sure, everyone is replaceable. But with Kefer is a manager who has also lived Bahn. One who spontaneously could record on paper, why a double-decker Intercity gets on the open track skidding. Namely because moving wheels on the rail in sinusoids and the train itself escalates. The audience immediately understood. Passion for the railways but it is seldom the property of corporate managers. Often, customers can inspire more for details on the train. Kefer was an exception.

Rüdiger Grube does not get the problems Stuttgart 21 and in freight transport in the handle. The renewal of the rail heads shaking.

Kefer were in addition to the unresolved problems in S21 apparently mainly personal deficits for undoing. Kefer was considered suspicious. He is said to have informed the Board on the gloomy S21 forecast very late. On the Supervisory Board he is said to have also echauffiert about who had passed on the confidential documents to S21 to the public in the Control Panel. Also internally to other colleagues was Kefer difficult

The second shortcoming:. Kefer was said that he wanted to replace mine as Deutsche Bahn CEO. Kefer was already web-vice, but he obviously wanted more. The power struggle has now won mine. But at the same time it will be without one of the most capable manager.