On September 4, the Federal Cabinet adopted the draft Federal Budget 2025. It also includes the so-called track-price funding, i.e., the support that companies receive regarding rail charges. For this, 275 million euros are currently earmarked for the current year. An amount strongly criticized by the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV).
In a statement, the Vice President of the VDV, Joachim Berends, said on
September 5:
„The results of the adjustment session for the Federal Budget 2025 are more than disappointing for rail freight and long-distance passenger traffic – in parts catastrophic. Needs of up to 350 million in freight traffic clash with an appropriation of 275 million euros. Against the backdrop of rising track prices and intense competition with road freight, this development will lead to less traffic
on the rails and to market exits. The companies in rail freight and long-distance passenger traffic will bear the rising costs of the system.“
The budget draft of the black-red federal government brought improvements in planned investments, but the lack of progress in track-price funding is alarming according to the industry association VDV.
The industry has therefore unanimously repeatedly pointed out that there must be
movement in the question of track-price funding to offset the politically induced increases in rail charges of up to 30 percent through equity financing and an SPNV cap.
„Here, the Bundestag in the adjustment session of the Budget Committee has missed a huge opportunity to turn the political commitments of traffic shifting and strengthening rail into action. The exact opposite is the case,“ Berends continued.
