{"id":255016,"date":"2025-07-22T18:56:31","date_gmt":"2025-07-22T08:56:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.railfreight.com\/?p=64385"},"modified":"2025-07-22T18:56:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-22T08:56:31","slug":"track-access-charges-in-germany-to-increase-only-by-16-instead-of-35","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=255016","title":{"rendered":"Track access charges in Germany to increase \u2018only\u2019 by 16% instead of 35%"},"content":{"rendered":"

The German government decided to reform the pricing system for track access charges (TAC), which are a problem for many rail freight operators. Instead of the planned 35% increase, TAC will go up by 16% in December. However, industry association Die G\u00fcterbahnen says more is needed and proposed a new TAC reform plan.<\/strong>
\n<\/span>The main issue is that TAC for freight trains in Germany remain very high. At the end of 2024, they were set at 3.73 euros per kilometre, a year-on-year increase of 52 cents. The current levels are almost twice what the industry can afford, according to Die G\u00fcterbahnen. \u201cA level of approximately \u20ac2 per kilometer for a standard freight train would be ideal. Higher prices are difficult to justify to the freight industry and are leading to an increasing shift to trucks\u201d, said managing director Peter Westenberger.<\/p>\n

Marginal costs model<\/h2>\n

The proposal brought forward by Die G\u00fcterbahnen \u201cincludes converting the system to marginal costs in line with the current recommendations of the EU Commission\u201d. In the current landscape, rail operators bear all infrastructure costs. However, the association thinks that only the costs incurred for a train journey should be included in the TAC, and they should not be a source of profit for the infrastructure manager DB InfraGO.<\/p>\n

Moreover, the proposal brought forward by Die G\u00fcterbahnen would block the possibility of increasing TAC several times a year. The association is pledging to block them for five years. Such a plan would \u2018create\u2019 a hole of one billion euros per year for DB InfraGO. However, the proposal includes a flow of maintenance subsidies from the government to the infrastructure manager that would cover said hole.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe model no longer provides for profit for DB InfraGO\u201d, Die G\u00fcterbahnen reiterated. The association is urging institutions to develop a new plan based on their proposal before the summer of 2026, so that it can take effect in 2027.<\/p>\n