Railroad Manager Richard Lutz Steps Down in 2024 - Discovering His Annual Earnings for That Year
As of August 2025, Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz has been prematurely dismissed, but no successor has yet been appointed. Lutz will remain in an executive director capacity until a new CEO is found, but the search for his replacement is expected to take longer than anticipated [1][4].
The German Federal Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder announced the dismissal and emphasized the need for structural and personnel reorganization aiming for a faster, leaner, and more effective company [1][2]. No official successor's name has been disclosed publicly as of now, and speculation about potential candidates has been ongoing without confirmation [4].
Richard Lutz faced challenging times as CEO, with the company experiencing a severe economic and operational crisis for years. The crisis stems from prolonged issues including underinvestment, declining punctuality, and deteriorating infrastructure [2][4]. Lutz presented a restoration concept in 2024 to improve the infrastructure, railway operations, and economic viability of the company over three years [4].
Work is currently underway on the Hamburg-Berlin route as part of the renovations. These renovations involve a complete closure of the route for several months to enable comprehensive renovation during this time [1]. Thousands of jobs are to be cut as part of the restoration concept [3]. After the renovations, there should be significantly fewer disruptions on the routes and no further construction sites for several years [1].
Lutz's tenure has been marked by a poor record, with punctuality in long-distance traffic having deteriorated from 78.5% in 2017 to 62.5% last year [2]. Despite this, Lutz earned approximately 2.1 million euros in 2024, including bonus payments [2]. Lutz is known for his disciplined work ethic and skill at chess, often working long hours and taking rare days off [3].
Minister Schnieder announced a strategy for the future of the DB for late summer [2]. The new federal government has announced a restructuring of the supervisory board and the board of the railway, aiming to reflect more specialist expertise and achieve a streamlining [1]. The company has been plagued with negative headlines under Lutz's leadership, and political decision-makers have even called for its dissolution [3].
It is still open who will follow Lutz as the successor for the company [4]. The change at the top is expected to bring about a turnaround for Deutsche Bahn, with the company currently in search of a leader capable of turning the company around [2][4].
[1] https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/db-chef-lutz-entlassung-101.html [2] https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/soziales/db-chef-lutz-entlassung-ist-fakt-a-0000000000000000,did=270045214 [3] https://www.handelsblatt.com/unternehmen/db-chef-lutz-kritisiert-die-politik-der-federal-coalition/27004388.html [4] https://www.n24.de/wirtschaft/db-chef-lutz-entlassung-ist-fakt-a-18574366
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The dismissal of Richard Lutz highlights the need for change in the finance sector, specifically the Deutsche Bahn industry, as the company grapples with an economic and operational crisis. The upcoming appointment of a new CEO is expected to bring about a turnaround, focusing on a faster, leaner, and more effective business model for the company. Despite the ongoing search, no successor has been officially named yet and speculation about potential candidates continues.
