The restructuring plan includes cutting about 30% of top management positions.
Evelyn Palla took over Deutsche Bahn in October 2025, stepping into a role burdened by years of delays, outdated infrastructure, and increasing financial losses. The first months of her tenure were dedicated to restructuring the troubled railway operator, although passengers have yet to feel significant improvements on the road.
Palla's first 100 days in office have been marked by active engagement with key industry organizations.
She closely collaborated with the "Alliance for Railways" (Allianz pro Schiene), whose managing director Dirk Flege praised her operational measures to reorganize the company. The railway and transport union EVG also acknowledged her efforts to improve service quality and delegate some powers to regional managers—a move supported by deputy chair Kozima Ingenheim.
Her restructuring plan includes cutting about 30% of top management positions and nearly half of mid-level roles. Regional managers now bear greater responsibility for maintaining schedules, cleanliness, and communication with passengers on the road. Although there was a slight improvement in punctuality in December—thanks to reduced construction work and the introduction of additional trains—sustainable progress on the road is still lacking. Palla's long-term strategy aligns with the federal railway investment program, which includes €23 billion in funding until 2026 and the modernization of congested routes by the mid-2030s. Transport Minister Schneider supports these initiatives, but critics from the freight sector describe the plans as more symbolic than transformative on the road.
Industry experts acknowledge Palla's pragmatic approach but warn that resolving deeply rooted issues at Deutsche Bahn will take years. Major infrastructure projects are still far from completion, and financial pressure remains on the road.
Palla's reforms aim to stabilize current operations and lay the groundwork for more extensive changes on the road. Regional managers must now meet strict performance metrics, and billions in state investments will go towards long-term modernization. However, as long as punctuality remains unreliable and key projects are delayed, passengers are unlikely to see significant improvements on the road in the coming years.
Evelyn Palla was the head of the regional passenger operator DB Regio, part of DB, since 2022. Amid the company's difficult situation, DB Regio maintains a punctuality rate of 90% and showed strong financial results in the first half of 2025.
Evelyn Palla was born in South Tyrol (Italy) in 1973, began her business career at Infineon Technologies, later worked at the German energy company E.ON, and in 2011 moved to the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), where she led the passenger company ÖBB Personenverkehr from 2015. She was invited to Deutsche Bahn in 2019.
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