DB Cargo chief says turnaround needs major job cuts

The new head of the crisis-hit rail freight division DB Cargo does not consider a turnaround possible without massive job cuts. DB Cargo is Europe's largest freight railway and has been struggling for years with structural problems, earnings slumps and an investment backlog. A far-reaching restructuring is considered unavoidable. Update (1 Mar 2026): According to Deutsche Bahn, the supervisory boards of DB Cargo and DB approved the restructuring path; the plan envisages around 6,000 fewer jobs, to be implemented in a socially responsible way, and operating concepts and individual sites will only be negotiated with employee representatives once the expert report is finalised (report of 19 February 2026). On 1 March 2026 DB reported that the European Commission had positively confirmed the restructuring report, which secures funding and the restructuring plan to 2030 presented by Bernhard Osburg (board member); of about 25,000 jobs in the European business, around 19,000 are to be secured for the long term by 2030 (LOK Report, 19 Feb and 1 Mar 2026; second source: trans.info, 27 Mar 2026).