TRIESTE – Germany is preparing to overhaul its rail network access charging system, a reform that could significantly reduce costs for rail freight operators and make rail transport more competitive with road haulage.
The proposal comes from the private rail freight sector, represented by the organisation Netzwerk Europäischer Eisenbahnen (NEE), which is calling for changes to the mechanism under which operators pay to use the network managed by DB InfraGO. The issue has already been included in the programme of Germany’s governing coalition.
The main change concerns network access charges. At present, a standard freight train pays €3.93 per train-kilometre, while the proposal aims to reduce the charge to €2 per train-kilometre, with the system based primarily on marginal costs rather than on recovering the infrastructure’s total costs.
According to operators, the current system has become increasingly expensive. DB InfraGO expects to collect around €8 billion in rail access charges by 2027, more than 50% higher than in 2019, even though rail traffic has increased by only 5% over the same period.
Another key element of the reform is tariff stability. Instead of the current annual approval process, which often takes place only shortly before the new railway timetable enters into force, a five-year pricing framework has been proposed. The Bundestag would set the initial charge and the adjustment mechanism, while subsequent revisions would automatically follow a sector-specific inflation index.
The aim is to provide greater certainty for railway undertakings, which currently have to plan services, capacity and commercial offers without knowing in advance the actual cost of using the network. A notable example was in 2026, when access charges were approved only two days before they came into effect.
The proposal also includes a review of railway infrastructure funding. The various federal contributions allocated to network maintenance, access charge subsidies and regional rail services would be merged into a single multi-year agreement between the federal government and DB InfraGO, ensuring greater continuity of investment.
The remuneration system for the infrastructure manager would also be revised. DB InfraGO currently benefits from a regulated return of 1.9% on invested capital, amounting to around €472 million, which is reflected in the calculation of the access charges paid by operators. The reform instead proposes linking the infrastructure manager’s revenues more closely to its performance in terms of network efficiency and quality.
