The German rail infrastructure manager DB InfraGO has submitted its track access charges (TAC) proposal for 2028. Ahead of its official proposal, DB InfraGO said that it would amount to an average TAC increase of 14.3% for freight. The heavy traffic and dangerous goods segments would carry a much heavier burden, however.
If DB InfraGO gets its way with approval from the German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur), particular rail freight services would disappear, according to the German transport association VDV.
“The figures and data available to us from the DB InfraGO ‘s application for track access prices in 2028 are frightening from the point of view of rail freight transport companies”, reacted VDV Managing Director Oliver Wolff.
“If the Federal Network Agency approves this application, freight transport is threatened with sometimes ruinous increases in track access prices. That would be the end of numerous freight transports by rail. Especially the market segments of heavy goods and dangerous goods, which are predestined for rail freight transport, are to be subject to exorbitantly high growth rates of 84.5% and 102% respectively compared to 2026.”
| Freight segment | Relative price increase | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Standard freight |
|
+6.6% |
| Heavy freight |
|
+84.8% |
| Dangerous goods block train |
|
+63.5% |
| Local freight |
|
+5.9% |
| Locomotive-only movement |
|
+5.9% |
Source: Die Güterbahnen
Not a DB InfraGO, but a policy question
VDV directs its criticism towards the German federal government, which has enabled DB InfraGO to pursue such TACs through the existing legal framework. German rail freight has long been waiting for a reform of the TAC system.
“[…] the increase in transport costs of such dimensions not only endangers freight transport by rail. Even in economically difficult times, it affects the industries that are central to Germany as a business location, such as steel, chemicals and the construction industry, as there are no alternatives for these transports”, explains Wolff.
“This means that in the end Germany as a business location suffers and less tax revenue is generated for the federal budget, which in turn means that fewer funds are available for the major reforms in the social sector.”
Heavy freight and dangerous goods not immune
Die Güterbahnen says that the exorbitant price increases for heavy freight and dangerous goods stem from the assumption that these segments have no alternative to rail transportation. This is a wrongful assumption, the association says. If expensive rail transportation turns their business unprofitable, they will switch to the road.
“The alarm bells couldn’t ring louder for a reform of track access charges”, commented Senior Consultant at Die Güterbahnen Oliver Smock. “A country fighting for its industry can no longer afford to ignore this reform. If transporting chemicals, construction materials, and steel by rail becomes unaffordable, not only will goods be shifted to the roads, but added value and jobs will also migrate abroad.”
A challenging prospect
The TAC outlook for German rail freight is not very promising. These costs are a major concern for railway undertakings in the country, which have long lobbied for a structural overhaul of the TAC system.
RailFreight.com reported earlier that the effectively paid TACs for 2027 will explode for rail freight. DB InfraGO will raise them by around 12.5% in the standard freight segment compared to 2026. However, with the German federal government also reducing subsidies for track access charges, the effective increase will amount to much more. Die Güterbahnen calculated that rail freight will pay 75% more compared to the current timetable year.