Rostock DB Cargo factory in danger: employees raise the alarm!

Rostock DB Cargo factory in danger: employees raise the alarm!

The air is burning in the Rostock DB Cargo factory, which has been responsible for the maintenance and repair of locomotives and freight wagons for almost 60 years. Employees are concerned about a possible closure of the business following a recent decision to transfer 20 of 55 employees to other positions within the company. This measure has further fueled insecurity among employees, it is reported NDR.

The situation at the DB Cargo factory, the freight transport subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, is tense. According to a fire letter from the works council, which was addressed, among others, to Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig, works council chairman Thomas Pfarr warns of massive staff reductions that could endanger the existence and future of the plant. DB Cargo plans to cut a total of 5,000 jobs by 2029, and the Rostock factory will be directly affected. In the first step, 24 of the 55 positions are to be cut, which could jeopardize the doors of the only DB Cargo plant in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Northern Courier reported.

Support from the country

The employees and the works council wrote an open letter to the state government. State Secretary Ines Jesse from the SPD assured support and is planning talks with company management. This support is urgently needed because closing the factory would significantly extend the already critical repair times for shunting locomotives, as the nearest maintenance depots are in Maschen near Hamburg and Seddin near Berlin. The repair infrastructure is of central importance for the seaport in Rostock, where many freight trains start and end.

DB Cargo's economic situation is precarious. The company has been struggling in the red for years, which has impacted maintenance needs. The decline in transport volumes has exacerbated the situation, as company spokesmen describe. In addition, the factory in Rostock is viewed as an important part of the logistics and maintenance infrastructure in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Transports for the Bundeswehr are also handled here. A workshop with the current capacity is therefore indispensable - not only for economic reasons, but also for security and defense policy reasons.

Outlook and challenges

In addition to the current challenges, there are shadows over future investments. Hopes that the railway manufacturer Toshiba would settle on the DB Cargo site had recently been disappointed, which is seen as a strategic setback for the Rostock location. Nevertheless, Deutsche Bahn plans to improve the area through a major project that also includes the renovation of the freight station. This could help make better use of the potential of freight trains.

The planned recovery of 1.6 million tons of war munitions from the North and Baltic Seas is part of this major project, which is also intended to achieve climate neutrality by 2045. While the state parliament has to vote on these steps, the future of the Rostock DB Cargo plant remains uncertain. The employees are hoping for a turnaround in order to preserve the plant and avert the threat of closure.