Church forms new welfare pillar of support in Pro-Rail Alliance

Berlin. The Pro-Rail Alliance is broadening its spectrum. The German Conference of Christian Railway Missions has now become the 18th non-profit member of the railway alliance, which already includes large environment organisations, passenger groups and the rail sectors’ two trade unions. “The railways are not only the safest and most environmentally friendly mode of transport, they are also the most socially oriented,” said the Pro-Rail Alliance chairman, Alexander Kirchner, on Thursday in Berlin. With the addition of the Railway Mission, which is backed by both major German Christian confessions, “our alliance has a gained a pillar of support that is very relevant to today’s society,” added Kirchner. “For the Railway Mission, travelling is always about individual people,” he said. Whether elderly passengers, children from patchwork families travelling alone or people who have got into difficulties on their journeys, “it is always train stations that are the focal point of social mobility.”

The Railway Mission is expecting that membership of the Pro-Rail Alliance will give it a strong partner to help it to achieve its objectives on transport issues. “In an increasingly mobile society, rail transport must remain open to everybody,” said Christian Bakemeier, national managing director of the Conference of Christian Railway Missions at the Diakonie of the Evangelical Church in Germany. “Forward-looking transport policies should not just be about environmental standards. Quality of life and being a part of society must also be considered,” emphasised Bakemeier.

The German Railway Missions, with over 2000 full-time and voluntary employees, are central focal points in the social network in cities and at train stations. They provide free and immediate help for everybody, without conditions or the need for an appointment, often at times when other help is not available. They have been providing this service for over 100 years and continue to do so at over 100 locations in Germany. The German Railway Mission was established and is run by the evangelical and catholic churches.