Deutsche Bahn is preparing to dismiss DB Cargo chief Sigrid Nikutta on 30 October, according to Der Spiegel, which cites multiple company sources. Nikutta, who has led the rail freight division since 2020, is expected to leave the company immediately after her removal.
As Der Spiegel reports, Nikutta had faced growing internal criticism over her leadership style and her restructuring strategy for DB Cargo. The magazine revealed that a new internal assessment, commissioned by Deutsche Bahn, questioned whether her turnaround plan could realistically succeed. According to the document, the current concept was 'objectively unsuitable' for resolving the division’s underlying problems or restoring competitiveness.
The internal review, however, concluded that a successful restructuring of DB Cargo remains possible in principle — just not under the existing plan. The findings have intensified internal pressure, Der Spiegel notes.
In the days before the decision, the EVG railway union had publicly called for Nikutta’s removal, telling Der Spiegel that her track record at DB Cargo was 'devastating' and criticising what it called a 'headless strategy of shrinking and dismantling.' Union officials warned that DB Cargo was approaching a 'dangerous tipping point' if no change in direction occurred.
Nikutta’s departure leaves open the question of who will take over Europe’s largest state-owned rail freight operator, and how Deutsche Bahn intends to stabilise the loss-making division in the months ahead.
