German road, railway infrastructure is decaying, with harsh economic consequences
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/german-road-railway-infrastructure-is-decaying-with-harsh-economic-consequences/2013/12/30/2eda2bdc-68ab-11e3-ae56-22de072140a2_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop
German road, railway infrastructure is decaying, with harsh economic consequences
By Michael Birnbaum, Published: December 30 | Updated: Tuesday, December 31, 11:20 PM
HAMBURG Flawless autobahns and punctual trains are as much a part of Germanys image as Beethoven and Goethe. But the countrys famed infrastructure is starting to crumble.
The once-soaring bridges are sagging. Some railroad switching equipment, once top-of-the-line, has not been updated since the time of the kaisers. Well-engineered canal locks are succumbing to silt and neglect.
Germanys network of roads and railroads is one of the densest and most developed in the world. But bottlenecks are starting to crimp Germanys export-driven economy, experts say. Even maintaining the status quo will require nearly doubling current spending levels, according to a recent report issued by a government commission.
Peter Osse, a shipper in the port of Hamburg, said he increasingly reaches not for a timetable but a prayer book when he makes transportation plans.