Sustainable and strategic space management with eco accounts

The transport turnaround requires an accelerated expansion of sustainable forms of mobility. In order to be able to implement rail infrastructure projects more quickly, time-critical processes such as space management are the focus of possible optimization. For this purpose, Deutsche Bahn would like to implement sustainable and strategic space management.

Interventions in nature and landscape are carried out through new construction and expansion projects, which are to be compensated for in accordance with the Federal Nature Conservation Act – and in compliance with other state regulations. For this purpose, suitable areas in the natural area of ​​the intervention must be ecologically upgraded with suitable measures. Deutsche Bahn is pursuing the goal of implementing this compensation as early as possible through suitable measures on its own space and managing it using eco-accounts. This is intended to accelerate the implementation of rail projects, since compensatory measures under nature conservation law do not have to be implemented in parallel with the implementation of the planned rail project. The high ecological potential of areas that are already owned by Deutsche Bahn and are suitable for compensatory measures should be activated and thus used to compensate for interventions in nature.

The spatial and infrastructure planning department is evaluating the approach currently being pursued by Deutsche Bahn in terms of legal and organizational feasibility. Proposals for modification are developed and alternative approaches are taken into account. Taking into account economic feasibility considerations, a summarizing evaluation of the planned space management is given.