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The government declares the restaurants on board the railroad a state secret
| Reading time: 3 minutes
That is why the restaurants on board are a state secret
“On board our trains, we offer you a wide selection of dishes for all tastes and hours of the day.” This is how Deutsche Bahn advertises its restaurants on board ICE. But when it comes to why these stay closed so often, it gets very mysterious.
Every ICE driver knows it: the disappointing announcement that the train, sadly, has no restaurant on board. But how often is there nothing to eat on trains? A deputy from the FDP asks the federal government, and receives a grotesque answer.
reIt offers tantalizing sounds: veal ribs with fries, pumpkin sauce and a bottle Pilsener for 14.90 euros. That is “enjoy all the way”. Deutsche Bahn announces its special offer for September on board its express trains. There is a restaurant or bistro on almost every long-distance route. If it is open.
All train conductors are aware of the disappointing announcements shortly after departure: “Unfortunately, this train runs today without a restaurant on board.” If you ask frequent passengers, you will quickly get the impression that the pots, pots and microwaves on board stay cold more often than the train. Sell food and drinks.
How often the FDP MP, Torsten Herbst, wanted to know more precisely and asked Enak Ferlemann, parliamentary secretary of state at the Ministry of Transport and government representative for rail transport. The question is simple, the answer grotesque.
Correspondence is available to WELT AM SONNTAG. Herbst wants to know what proportion of all the kilometers traveled on long-distance trains in the years 2016 to 2019 and in the first half of 2020 with the restaurant on board closed or not fully operational, and how much money the train earned for catering during the same period. Then it would also be clear what income the state company is losing.
But Ferlemann refuses to respond, because the information “affects the constitutionally protected commercial and commercial secrets of the companies in question.” And these concern “also the fiscal interests of the federal government.” Disclosure would even “significantly hurt rail stocks and could lead to significant competitive disadvantages.” Competing suppliers and vendors could use the knowledge gained.
Does Transport Minister Scheuer want to avoid negative headlines?
Prevention is better than cure, rail transport officer Ferlemann seems to have thought, and he took it seriously. He writes: Taking into account the parliamentary right to information and the protection of railway secrets, “the federal government has classified the requested information as confidential.”
This means: The information about the restaurants on board is now “confidential and classified information”, the knowledge of which may be detrimental to the interests of the Federal Republic. Or to put it more simply: a state secret. The FDP deputy can see the exact answer in the Bundestag’s secret protection office, of course, without being allowed to talk about it later.
This raises questions: the railroad is almost a monopoly of long-distance rail transport. Who could be a serious competitor with ribs and pumpkin sauce? This suggests that a response from the federal government could make those responsible uncomfortable.
FDP MP Herbst also believes this. He says: “To classify information about functional railroad restaurants as some kind of state secrets is just grotesque. One gets the impression that the federal transport minister, Andreas Scheuer, has to protect his state-owned company to protect it from negative headlines. “
The procedure does not favor clients nor does the ministry live up to Parliament’s control rights. For the CSU-run house, “hiding complaints is obviously more important than a rail company that is attractive to passengers.”
Food and drink on board can be very tasty and cheap. Finally, the railway also transfers the VAT reduction in the restaurant to its customers, “as a thank you for their loyalty.” But how many travelers can enjoy this advantage is and remains a secret.
This text is from WELT AM SONNTAG. We are happy to take them home on a regular basis.
Source: Welt am Sonntag
