DB Netz point machines (Photo: DB).

GERMANY: The federal government plans to invest €106·5bn in railway infrastructure by 2029, more than the total expenditure on all transport infrastructure in the previous five-year period.

Announced on June 24, the funding is to be used primarily for asset renovation and renewal. A further €51·9bn is to be spent on roads and €7·6bn on waterways, to give a total infrastructure investment allocation of €166bn. This compares to the equivalent funding stream in 2020-24, which amounted to €102bn.

Germany changed its constitution in March, allowing it to raise up to €500bn through extra borrowing to fund defence, climate protection and infrastructure measures.