Between infrastructure crisis and political influence

The cuts to the Climate Transformation Fund have had a massive impact on the expansion of rail infrastructure. The outdated rail network, train delays and lack of capacity in freight and passenger transport in particular are the focus of criticism. The road infrastructure is also in poor condition: dilapidated bridges and roads pose a safety risk and hinder traffic. Despite renovation programmes, a lack of personnel and bureaucratic hurdles are hindering progress.

Criticism of high investment in trunk road construction

A particularly controversial point in 2024 was the massive allocation of funds for the expansion and renovation of trunk roads. While significant sums were channelled into the modernisation of the rail network, an even greater proportion of investment was directed towards road construction. This decision is at odds with the goals of the transport transition, which aims to reduce motorised private transport and promote more climate-friendly forms of mobility such as rail transport.

The Greenpeace research ‘Asphalt instead of alternatives’ brought to light the strong links between politics and the road construction lobby. According to the study, two thirds of the lobbyists registered in the Bundestag in the field of transport planning are representatives of companies and trade associations involved in road construction. In comparison, only a small proportion represent the interests of environmental and climate protection organisations. The road construction lobby thus exerts considerable influence on the prioritisation of infrastructure projects, which is increasingly attracting critical voices from politics and society.

One particularly controversial example is the planned A20 coastal motorway, a multi-billion euro project that is being pushed ahead despite the urgent need to renovate existing infrastructure. Critics complain that such projects tie up funds that would be better invested in the expansion of sustainable alternatives such as rail transport.

The Federal Transport Infrastructure Plan (BVWP) provides for the construction of around 6,000 kilometres of new motorways and trunk roads and the expansion of around 4,000 kilometres of existing trunk roads by 2030. The total cost of these projects amounts to around 180 billion euros.

Such sums stand in stark contrast to the comparatively lower investments in climate-friendly transport infrastructure.

The Greenpeace research also shows that large construction companies such as Hochtief, Strabag and Max Bögl benefit from the extensive road construction contracts. In recent years, these companies have been awarded contracts worth billions for the expansion and maintenance of the motorway network.

Critics emphasise that this prioritisation of road construction undermines the goals of the transport transition in the long term. While the German motorway network is already one of the densest in Europe, necessary investments in local public transport, electromobility and rail infrastructure are falling by the wayside.

This could perpetuate car dependency in many regions and make it more difficult to reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector.

Many experts are therefore calling for a reorientation of the investment strategy in order to promote the expansion of climate-friendly mobility solutions more strongly.