The Dutch rail infrastructure manager ProRail has announced a track access charge (TAC) increase starting in 2027. A minor year-on-year price hike for most freight trains was already announced in 2024, but ProRail now says it will implement an additional indexation to raise prices by 2.1% more.
ProRail clarifies that the price increase follows inflation. “This change is necessary, because the costs for maintenance, materials and services are growing. ProRail is obliged to index: we follow cost developments on the market with our prices.”
For a 1,500-tonne freight train, a 2.1% indexation translates into an additional cost of close to 5 eurocents per kilometre compared to the original 2027 plan, according to RailFreight.com calculations. Compared to 2025, the price increase is much larger due to a weight category merger: 73 cents per kilometre. The total price for 2027 will be 2.2719 euros per kilometre for a 1,500-tonne train.
ProRail’s train-kilometre charging policy for 2027, before the 2.1% indexation
| Weight class | Rate |
|---|---|
| Up to and including 120 tonnes | €0.5934 |
| 121 to 160 tonnes | €0.7417 |
| 161 to 320 tonnes | €0.9435 |
| 321 to 600 tonnes | €1.3114 |
| 601 to 3,200 tonnes | €2.2252 |
| 3,201 tonnes and above | €2.7533 |
Whereas ProRail refers to their obligation to index their prices on the basis of inflation, the Dutch rail freight association argues otherwise. “Infrastructure charges must be reduced rather than increased to ensure a level playing field between rail freight transport and road transport or inland waterway transport”, the association’s director Hans-Willem Vroon tells RailFreight.com.
Unlevel playing field
“Road transport will likely have a lower lorry tax imposed by the government. And it will only start paying this from 1 July. Electric lorries are subsidised. Inland waterway transport is exempt from infrastructure charges under the Mannheim Convention. Why does electrically powered rail freight transport pay 4.30 euros per train-kilometre [when factoring in other costs], whilst road transport using electric lorries will pay 1.40 euros per train-kilometre equivalent from 1 July?”, Vroon wonders.
The track access charges are not the only concern of the Dutch rail freight sector. ProRail will also be raising prices for shunting and parking by 1.7%. Ever since 2023, these fees have been exorbitantly high, according to RailGood. ProRail is diverging significantly from the course of its European counterparts in its charging policy. “This gap will be even bigger in 2027 and this does not make the market playing field more equal”, says RailGood.
The price increases may still be subject to change. In a message to market parties, ProRail says that they will have until 12 June 2026 to respond to ProRail’s price plans.