Our position is clear! Why Deutsche Bahn is standing up for Europe.

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06. May 2024, 13:30 o'Clock
Berlin

Article: Our position is clear! Why Deutsche Bahn is standing up for Europe.

DB is Europe! • Europe month from 9 May to 9 June 2024 • DB is the national partner of UEFA EURO 2024 • DB CEO Dr Richard Lutz: "We need to make our position clear" • Ten DB reasons for a strong Europe

Sending a clear message in support of Europe: Deutsche Bahn is standing up for a united and democratic Europe on Europe Day, 9 May. The DB Management Board is also calling for Europeans to go to the polls on 9 June and vote for Europe.

Europe month at DB is part of DB's commitment to the "We stand for values" business alliance. The group of over 30 German companies are calling on their 1.6 million employees to vote in the upcoming European elections. DB also supports the non-partisan initiative "Do something for Europe", which was established in February 2019 to strengthen the fundamental pro-European consensus and inject life into the idea of Europe in the spirit of international understanding.

"DB is Europe," says DB's CEO, Richard Lutz. "We vote Europe. It is important to go to the polls, especially now, when we are seeing how fragile the foundations on which our prosperity, freedom and peace are built have become. We are experiencing populism and division. But we cannot accept anti-democratic and anti-European efforts. Recent developments and events show that companies such as the DB Group, as a member of society, must take a position. We support tolerance and democracy, freedom and Europe."

For the entire month from 9 May to 9 June 2024 – Europe month – Deutsche Bahn will be working with employees with a European background on a number channels under the motto "DB is Europe!" to show that the railways would be inconceivable without a united Europe. The goal is to encourage employees, passengers, followers and rail fans to vote for a democratic Europe in the EU elections on 9 June. The campaign is hoping to motivate young people in particular to exercise their right to vote. This year is the first European election in Germany in which Europeans as young as 16 can cast their ballot.

Here are ten reasons why DB is in favour of a strong, united Europe:
  1. Copyright: DB AG

    Rail transport contributes to European cohesion. Europe is therefore one of the four main objectives of our Strong Rail Group strategy: For Europe. For the economy. For people. For the climate. That is why we are working with the other European railways to ensure that Europe grows even closer together on the rails.
  2. Around 150 cities and the most beautiful holiday regions in Europe can be reached directly by train from Germany.
  3. Each day, 65,000 passengers take our trains to an international destination. 
  4. Sixty per cent of our freight trains cross at least one national border. The EU's six most important transport and freight corridors run right through Germany.
  5. Luciana, Bogdan, Alexis, Luigi, Willem and Jette: Just six of more than 20,000 DB employees from EU countries and European Championship nations. Deutsche Bahn has European DNA and is proud to have a diverse workforce.
  6. The objectives of Europe's Green Deal can be achieved only if the rail network is expanded throughout Europe. Europe is aiming to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
  7. DB is the national partner of UEFA EURO 2024 and is expecting ten million people to visit fan zones in the host cities alone. In addition, 14 special European Championship trains will be running during the European football tournament. We will add 10,000 seats each day during the European football festivities in Germany.
  8. Thirty-three European countries, one rail pass: Interrail is a European success story. One million passes were sold in 2023 alone.
  9. More than 400 million people in the Schengen area benefit from travel without border controls.
  10. The railways have always been European pioneers. In the 19th century, there were more than 60 time zones in Germany. Central European Time was introduced in 1893 at the insistence of rail employees.