DB InfraGO reports a further increase in infrastructure investment in 2025 compared with the previous year, with construction activity taking place across approximately 26,000 worksites on Germany’s rail network. The works covered track and signalling renewal, station modernisation and the rollout of new control systems.
More than €19 billion was available for infrastructure works during the year. Major projects included the ongoing corridor overhaul on the Hamburg–Berlin line, the commissioning of the Dresden–Anhalter Bahn, and the reopening of the Ahr Valley line, which had been severely damaged by flooding in 2021.
According to DB InfraGO, construction volumes increased in several key track disciplines. The company renewed 2,065 switches, representing a year-on-year increase, while 2,173 km of track were built or renewed, slightly above levels recorded in 2023 and 2024. Overhead line renewal reached 288 km, a modest decrease compared with the previous year, reflecting a shift in project focus.
Signalling and control technology remained a central area of activity. In 2025, 60 new interlockings were commissioned, compared with around 40 per year in recent years. A total of 4,025 signalling units were renewed, although the commissioning of the new interlocking at Cologne main station was not completed during the year.
The rollout of ETCS also continued. By the end of 2025, ETCS-equipped routes covered 683 km of the German network, with 157 km added during the year.
Station modernisation progressed alongside network works. DB InfraGO modernised around 950 stations out of roughly 5,700 nationwide. More than 100 stations were upgraded following an integrated approach, combining platforms, station buildings and surrounding areas into a single redevelopment concept.
Maintaining rail operations during intensive construction remained a key challenge. DB InfraGO expects around 28,000 worksites in 2026, while operational output is projected to remain at over one billion train-kilometres per year. At the end of 2025, around 530 railway undertakings, operators and freight customers were active on the German network.
Workforce expansion continued to support delivery and operations. By year-end, DB InfraGO had hired around 8,000 new employees, including more than 3,600 staff in construction supervision and track maintenance roles. In operations, 2,100 new trainees began qualification as train traffic controllers, with staffing coverage in interlockings reaching 99% in November.
FACT BOX — DB InfraGO 2025 at a glance
- Total investment: > €19 billion
- Worksites: ~26,000
- Track renewed/built: 2,173 km
- Switches renewed: 2,065
- Overhead line renewed: 288 km
- New interlockings commissioned: 60
- ETCS-equipped network: 683 km
- Stations modernised: ~950
- Employees hired in 2025: ~8,000
