The issue of rail access charges in Germany continues to be contentious. In an attempt to ease the burden on operators, the government has scaled back the planned increase, presenting the forthcoming adjustment as a minor revision rather than a steep rise. The new tariffs will take effect in December 2025. However, while the move has been welcomed, the consensus among operators is that it falls far short of what is needed. They argue that the whole charging system requires a rethink if rail freight is to remain competitive.
At the heart of the debate is the fact that access fees in Germany remain very high. By the end of 2024 they stood at 3.73 euros per kilometre, up by 52 cents compared with the previous year. According to Die Güterbahnen, the association representing around one hundred companies active in rail freight and committed to building a truly European network, the current cost level is almost double what the industry can realistically bear. Operators suggest that an ideal rate would be closer to two euros per kilometre, a threshold they believe would safeguard the competitiveness of the sector.
Die Güterbahnen is advocating for a system based on marginal costs, coupled with a guarantee that charges will not be adjusted multiple times within the year but instead fixed for a sufficiently long period, ideally five years. At present, rail freight operators shoulder the full weight of infrastructure costs. The association maintains that charges should instead reflect only the portion of the network effectively used, calculated by the distance a freight train actually runs.
Such a reform would inevitably reduce the annual profits of infrastructure manager DB IngraGo by around one billion euros. But operators stress that the role of the network manager should be to cover costs, not to pursue additional profit at the expense of its rail freight customers. In their view, it is up to the federal government to step in with a subsidy system capable of ensuring network maintenance, especially when extraordinary interventions are required.
Die Güterbahnen has submitted its tariff reform proposal to the relevant institutions, urging the adoption of a new cost framework by the summer of 2026 so that it could come into force from 2027. All this comes against the backdrop of a heavily strained network, with hundreds of worksites currently open across the country. The resulting diversions and delays are driving up costs and eroding traffic, fuelling fears that customers may ultimately turn their backs on rail altogether.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
