Title: Making Private Station Halls Accessible for All: An Overview
Deutsche Bahn's railway network spans around 5700 stations across Germany, with nearly 2900 of them housing halls. The company now only owns roughly 700 of these properties, having sold off many reception buildings in the 2000s and 2010s. Private owners, as well as local authorities, have taken control of the majority of these stations. Regrettably, numerous buildings have succumbed to neglect due to the absence of proper maintenance.
A prominent example of private ownership is observed in the east of Germany, particularly in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where over 80% of stations belong to private owners. The remainder is split between municipal ownership and Deutsche Bahn. Berlin stands out as an exception, with almost all stations remaining under the company's or the federal government's ownership.
Private owners are predominantly converting these buildings for personal or commercial purposes rather than for traditional rail operations. One such case is the abandonment of the station in Malchow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which has remained inactive and is deteriorating.
Deutsche Bahn halted station sales a few years ago and presently concentrates on renovating approximately 700 reception buildings, targeting 200 by 2027. The company, however, does not have any plans to repurchase station buildings.
Allianz pro Schiene advocates for incentives for both private and municipal owners to restore or renovate these stations for railway use. "A sustainable transportation system necessitates the improvement of stations to accommodate more train passengers," asserts CEO Dirk Flege. A financially and organically supported framework is required to formulate and execute suitable usage concepts. The federal government holds a significant part in this.
Regional initiatives, such as those led by the Verkehrsverbund Berlin-Brandenburg (VBB), are addressing this issue, especially through platforms like the "Competence Center Station." This portal connects interested owners with resources to further develop buildings with considerations for railway use. Examples in Brandenburg serve as a blueprint for such initiatives.
However, the need for these initiatives to be reinforced and supported is emphatic, as advocated by Allianz pro Schiene. North Rhine-Westphalia exemplifies this through the Bahnflächen-Entwicklungsgesellschaft, which functions as a resource for interested owners looking to enhance urban environments and transportation.
The search results do not detail any specific incentives for private and municipal owners. To uncover potential incentives, a comprehensive examination of German government policies or initiatives focusing on supporting the restoration and modernization of rail station buildings would be required.
The economy of these private station owners relies heavily on the conversion of these buildings for personal or commercial purposes. Due to Deutsche Bahn's halt on station sales, the economy surrounding these properties may see a shift towards renovation and maintenance, as private owners and municipalities take the lead.
