Asbestos Legacy Lingers: 65% of German Occupational Deaths Linked to Banned Material as Railway Faces Years-Long Cleanup
10.06.2026 - 11:16:34 | boerse-global.de
The substance was banned in Germany decades ago, yet asbestos continues to claim lives at an alarming rate. In 2024, asbestos-related illnesses accounted for roughly 65 percent of the 1,900 total fatalities from occupational diseases recorded nationwide. The figures underscore a persistent workplace safety challenge that resurfaces every time aging infrastructure undergoes renovation.
Nowhere is that challenge more visible than at Duisburg's main train station. During modernization work on platform 2, Deutsche Bahn discovered asbestos fibers. Workers in protective suits are currently removing the hazardous material, and the company insists there is no health risk for passengers. Nevertheless, the find has thrown the project's timeline into disarray. Platform 2 – serving tracks 3 and 4 – has been closed since February 6, and Deutsche Bahn now targets February 2027 for reopening. The overall cost of the revamp is estimated at no less than €260 million.
The problem extends well beyond rail. In Dresden-Strehlen, a plot of land contaminated by asbestos after a fire in mid-March was only cleared by a specialized firm at the end of May and beginning of June 2026. The city issued a preliminary building permit in May for demolition and new construction on the site at Caspar-David-Friedrich-Straße, with plans for up to 50 residential units and 65 parking spaces. The case illustrates that proper remediation of polluted land remains a prerequisite for urban infill development.
Across the border in Hungary, asbestos has turned up in an unexpected place: road construction. In early June, authorities in Zalaegerszeg began removing asbestos-bearing rock gravel from two streets. According to Mayor Zoltán Balaicz, the material originated from gravel pits in Austria, highlighting how the legacy of the banned building material can travel across supply chains.
Internationally, the dangers continue to draw warnings. On June 8, 2026, the International Women's Association for Sustainable Development (USKD) cautioned about persistent risks in Turkey. Although asbestos has been banned there since 2010, older buildings still pose a significant hazard. The group noted that a combination of asbestos exposure and tobacco consumption could elevate lung cancer risk by a factor of 50.
Back in Duisburg, Deutsche Bahn is pressing ahead with the cleanup while simultaneously confronting a sharp rise in violence against its workforce. The company has stepped up its use of bodycams and AI-powered video surveillance; attacks on DB employees increased 11 percent in 2025. For now, the focus remains on the hazardous cleanup at platform 2 – a site that will remain off-limits to travelers for nearly three more years.
