GERMAN Rail (DB) has launched a €50m immediate action programme to improve station cleanliness and security across the network.
The programme is one of three announced by new DB CEO, Evelyn Palla, in December as part of a major restructuring of the German national operator. DB will invest a total of €140m in the action programmes, which will also focus on passenger information and improved comfort for long-distance travellers.
Palla and federal transport minister, Patrick Schnieder, launched the stations action programme at Berlin main station with an initial list of 25 stations targeted for an increased security presence, additional cleaning, and prompt repairs. The stations include Hanover main station, Frankfurt (Main) Hauptwache and Munich Pasing. DB says further stations will be announced later this year.
To improve cleanliness, DB will double the number of stations set to receive a spring clean this year from 700 to 1400, many of them in rural areas, such as Bitterfeld, Greifswald and Remagen. Cleaning will focus on platforms, stairs, underpasses, lifts, glass surfaces, ticket vending machines and poster display cases, with graffiti and chewing gum removal a priority.
New mobile maintenance teams are being established to carry out minor repairs at stations across the network, such as replacing broken windows or repainting a graffiti-covered wall. The effectiveness of mobile teams has already been demonstrated in a pilot project and the recruitment of additional maintenance personnel is gradually taking place throughout Germany.
“First impressions count,” Palla says. “Our stations are our calling cards. We are taking numerous consistent steps to ensure that our customers feel welcome and safe at them.”
