Berlin S-Bahn mourns the loss of boss Peter Buchner: A life for the railway

Berlin S-Bahn mourns the loss of boss Peter Buchner: A life for the railway

On Tuesday, November 5th, 2025, the Berlin S-Bahn announced sad news: Peter Buchner, the long-time managing director of the Berlin S-Bahn, died at the age of 57. With great regret, the company, in which Buchner had held a leading role since 2009, expressed its “great dismay and deep sadness” at the loss. Buchner leaves behind his wife and a son, who have to struggle with deep emotions in these difficult times.

S-Bahn supervisory board chairman Harmen van Zijderveld commented on Buchner's death and emphasized that he leaves an "indescribable void". Buchner was not only an important part of the company, but also a personality who stood up for the passengers and his employees until the end, even though he was suffering from a serious illness. His openness in dealing with this situation helped many overcome their own fears.

Buchner's professional career

Peter Buchner's career was strongly linked to the railway. After studying business administration, he was initially managing director of the Usedomer Bäderbahn before moving to DB Regio AG in 1997. From 2001 to 2010 he also took over the management of Busverkehr Oder-Spree GmbH. With a successful commitment despite difficulties, he steered the Berlin S-Bahn through various crises and fought for the trust of passengers. His 15 years of work in various functions for the city and his friendly, collegial approach will be remembered by many colleagues.

Berlin Transport Senator Ute Bonde (CDU) was also affected and praised Buchner's trust and honesty in dealing with his employees. He was known for his special sense of humor, which lightened up many heartfelt moments, and his empathetic demeanor will certainly live on in the memories of his colleagues.

An irreplaceable loss

The Governing Mayor of Berlin, Kai Wegner (CDU), praised Buchner's commitment and the successes he achieved in stabilizing S-Bahn operations. As a sign of respect, Karsten Preißel will take over as acting chairman of the board while the city and the S-Bahn employees mourn the painful loss. In these difficult hours, our condolences go out to all employees and Peter Buchner's family.

In the midst of this sadness, the memory remains of a man who showed great commitment to the S-Bahn and its passengers and always had an open ear for his employees. Buchner's commitment will continue to contribute to the stability and growth of the Berlin S-Bahn in the coming years.

For more information on this sad news, please visit the article on Berlin courier or the press release Berlin.de.