Speculation about massive job cuts has been rejected by Sigrid Nikutta, Chairwoman of the Management Board of DB Cargo AG and Member of the DB Group Management Board responsible for Freight Transport:
"Public speculation about massive job cuts at DB Cargo is unsettling for both our employees and our customers. It is also detrimental to our goal of shifting more freight from road to rail," she said, responding to media reports to this effect.
The Cargo Management Board is also not planning to disband the single wagonload business:
"Single wagonload traffic plays a central role at DB Cargo - this segment is fundamental to achieving the climate targets. Thanks to single wagonload traffic in Germany, around two million tonnes of CO₂ are currently avoided every year and 40,000 truck journeys are replaced every day," the company's statement reads, adding:
"However, operationally costly single wagonload transport is currently not economically viable in any European country. The entire railway industry has lobbied for the promotion of single wagonload traffic in Germany in a way that is neutral to competition.
The new funding programme for single wagonload traffic will bridge the gap until the migration to Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC). The funding will significantly improve the competitiveness of single wagonload traffic compared to road freight transport, DB Cargo concludes.
