The increase in track access charges implemented in December 2024 for the relief of public passenger transport could become existentially threatening for companies in rail freight transport in Germany. With steadily rising prices for rail toll, it is becoming increasingly difficult for service providers in rail freight transport to remain competitive against road freight transport. Nicole Knapp, Managing Director of Railways at the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV), explained this during a press conference in Hamburg on June 17.
According to Knapp, spending on rail toll now accounts for up to
20 percent of freight costs, depending on the destination. Increases in equity capital decided by the federal government for DB InfraGO have aggravated the situation because the costs from the interest on equity capital and changes in depreciation legally lead to an increase in track prices.
"This is something that is massively troubling the freight transport industry. As an association, we therefore see it as our task to ensure that higher funding for track prices is anchored in the federal budget for the year 2025," Knapp told media representatives.
Currently, 275 million
euros are planned in the federal budget for support concerning rail toll – an amount that the VDV and its member companies consider too low. Therefore, the association, together with other interest groups from industry, trade, and business, is demanding in a joint letter to the federal government an immediate increase in track price funding by 75 million euros to 350 million euros, as well as a fundamental reform of the track pricing system. The letter is to be sent and published in the coming days.
"An immediate increase in track price
funding is essential. This is evident from the fact that track prices for a standard freight train in the federal rail network suddenly increased by about 16 percent in December 2024. Another increase of eight to 35 percent is threatening from mid-December 2025. The concrete extent is currently still open due to ongoing legal disputes, which additionally increases the uncertainty in the market," Knapp explained.
The VDV has already developed two proposals for reforming the track pricing system and will bring these into the political discussion on a readjustment of the track
