Loss-making German railway operator paid execs €17.3m last year

Total pay for former and new members of the Deutsche Bahn management board, including severance payments and bonus payments, amounted to around €17.3 million ($19.9 million) last year, figures released by Germany's state-owned rail firm show.

The largest share, at just under €5.5 million, went to former Deutsche Bahn chief executive Richard Lutz, according to the group's latest annual report for 2025, released on Friday.

Lutz's fixed salary was €1.4 million. In addition, following his dismissal in October he received severance pay of just under €3.5 million plus bonuses, known as variable remuneration, totalling around €570,000.

The state-owned group posted a net loss of €2.3 billion in 2025, about €0.5 billion higher than in 2024.

Some €11.3 million in severance payments

Other board members who left the company last year as part of a restructuring at Deutsche Bahn, including former digital board member Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, infrastructure board member Berthold Huber and the head of the freight division, Sigrid Nikutta, received millions of euros in severance payments.

In total, severance payments for these departing executives, including Lutz, amounted to around €11.3 million.

Remuneration for new members of the management body, which now has only six members, was significantly more modest.

New Deutsche Bahn chief executive Evelyn Palla received €1.17 million last year including variable remuneration. That was slightly less than long-serving human resources board member Martin Seiler, who received €1.22 million. In total, the current board members were paid just under €3.7 million.

The figures do not include severance pay for former chief financial officer Karin Dohm. On Thursday evening, Deutsche Bahn announced that Dohm will leave the company again after only four months.