Collapse of the Carola Bridge in Dresden, 2014
Collapse of the Carola Bridge in Dresden, 2014
Railway line in Berlin
Highway in Germany
Highway A81, Germany
Highway in Frankfurt
Moselle Viaduct, Germany
Ravenna Bridge in the Black Forest, Germany
Berlin train Station
Frankfurt train station
Work on the Naples-Bari High-Speed Line
Work on the Naples-Bari High-Speed Line
TBM at work on the Naples-Bari line
Construction site on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria line
Construction site on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria line
- The collapse of a Dresden bridge has raised the alarm about the poor state of Germany’s public infrastructure
- The country’s roads, railways and bridges have suffered from decades of neglect
- The new coalition government has presented a draft budget that earmarks €500 billion to an infrastructure investment fund
- A good part of the funds is to be invested in transport, especially railways
- Germany is following an example set by Italy, which has been investing heavily to create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
It took the collapse of a single bridge to awaken awareness, among citizens and institutions alike, regarding the deterioration of public infrastructure in Germany.
This happened in Dresden in September 2024. The Carola Bridge, one of the city’s symbols, suddenly collapsed, causing no casualties but disrupting traffic and sparking a wave of controversy. More than an isolated incident, it was the symptom of a system in crisis: a network of roads, rail lines, and viaducts that is aging and struggling to keep pace with the country’s needs.
This event marked the end of a period of austerity and opened the door to a new paradigm: that of public infrastructure investment to revive growth, employment, and competitiveness.
Germany Back on Track with Public Transportation Infrastructure
So on June 24, with the economy in the doldrums, the country’s new coalition government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz presented a draft budget for 2025 to try to change things around.
One of the budget’s key items is the creation of an infrastructure fund that will invest €500 billion during the next 12 years. Not only will it give an immediate boost to the economy with the creation of jobs, but also set the course for it to grow for years to come thanks to renewed civil infrastructure.
«I have one very clear priority for both federal budgets: we must put our country back on track towards growth, » said Lars Klingbeil, Federal Minister of Finance, in an interview published on the ministry’s website a few weeks ahead of the draft budget’s presentation.
«That is the only way to safeguard good jobs, ensure the equitable transformation of our economy, and make the necessary large-scale investments in modern infrastructure».
According to estimates from the rating agency Scope, reported by Reuters, the fund’s effect could boost Germany’s GDP from the current 0.7% to approximately 1%.
Plan, Build, Spend in Infrastructural Projects
The Ministry of Transport will be among the primary beneficiaries of the fund. Out of a total of 500 billion, a substantial 166 billion is earmarked for the transportation infrastructure: 107 billion for the rail system; 52 billion for federal roads; 8 billion for waterways.
«Today is where things really start”, declared the Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder, emphasizing that the initial priority will be the maintenance and renovation of the existing network, particularly bridges and railway infrastructure. «But in the coming years, we will also have to look at new infrastructure,» he added.
In a July interview with the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA), Deutsche Bahn Chief Executive Richard Lutz commented positively on the investment plan: «The fact that we are receiving additional money from the special fund is excellent news». The coalition government will send the draft budget to the Bundestag parliament for approval in September.
Southern Italy, a Model for High-Speed Railway in the TEN-T
The decision to reinvest in public infrastructure, particularly in transport, has already been embraced by other European countries, notably Italy. Italy has allocated a significant portion of its NextGenerationEU resources precisely to the development of its transport systems, starting with railway infrastructure.
The focus is on the Mezzogiorno (the South of Italy), where an unprecedented transformation is underway thanks to the commitment of the Webuild Group, currently working on 19 strategic projects along the main infrastructure axes. Among the ongoing works are: the Naples–Bari High-Speed railway line; the Palermo–Catania–Messina High-Capacity line; the Salerno–Reggio Calabria High-Speed rail line; the Ragusa–Catania highway corridor.
Once completed, the high-speed lines will join the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T), which is designed to connect better EU member states, reduce CO2 emissions by emphasizing rail transport rather than road infrastructure, and improve the competitiveness of the EU’s economy.
Infrastructure as a Lever for the European Transport System and the Future
In a Europe seeking new ways to sustain growth and address environmental challenges, Germany’s shift marks a paradigm change: no longer cuts, but strategic investments.
Building transportation Finfrastructure doesn’t just mean opening construction sites; it means boosting the real economy, creating jobs, connecting territories, and ensuring a more sustainable and competitive future for everyone.
It’s a clear message that, starting from Berlin, speaks to all of Europe.
