On the extraordinary meeting of the board of Deutsche Bahn Inc, Sahra Wagenknecht,member of the federal executive of THE LEFT, declares:

With the foundation of the holding “Mobility and Logistics Inc“, the executive board of Deutsche Bahn Inc has set an important point in the direction of a partial privatisation of Deutsche Bahn. Of course, the infrastructure of the railroads is supposed to stay completely in state hands, and the trade unions, by way of the structure saving collective agreement, have taken care that also the new holding will remain in its majority in state property. However, it is very sad that public indignation about the switch of Transnet head Hansen into the railway executive has not led to the needed change of course, to dealing a clear “No!“ to the planned partial privatisation.

That way it becomes clear, what consequences the opening of the railways and its logistics to public investors will have: the ticket prices that for low-income earners are already now unaffordable will rise further. Moreover, the reinforced orientation towards profit will lead to the closing of yet additional small stations and the idling of presumably unprofitable tracks. Finally, it is to be expected that the newly named work director Hansen will use his new office to lower the wages of the railway employees further. For instance, new subsidiaries are supposed to win contracts in short-distance traffic for Deutsche Bahn by way of wage dumping.

Resistance needs to develop against all these plans or respectively to strengthen. Because alternatives are feasible, as Switzerland proves. There the railroads are 100% state property and are operated for profit in the interest of the public. A dense rail network, satisfied customers – all of this distinguishes the Swiss Federal Railways. Quite to the contrary the examples of Great Britain or New Zealand, where the privatisation of the railroads had catastrophic consequences. In order to prevent a further falling apart of the infrastructure, New Zealand's government decided just a short while ago to buy back the railroads. It is pure ignorance to hold on to the partial privatisation of Deutsche Bahn in the light of such experiences. It is in particular the SPD that proves once more with this example that it continues to follow in the neoliberal mainstream. Yet he, to whom the profit of private investors is closer than the interest of the population, will sooner or later be punished for that.