Germany’s Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) wants to break Deutsche Bahn’s dominant position in long-distance rail travel. The state-owned company must in future hand over at least a quarter of capacity on already heavily used routes to competitors. The rail subsidiary DB InfraGo, which manages the rail network, may only allocate 60 to 75 percent of train paths on such corridors to a single company. InfraGo can set the exact percentage itself.
The competition clause applies only to operators offering scheduled services – meaning at least four daily trips at two-hour intervals at the same minute. In addition, BNetzA wants to require InfraGo to allocate station space according to objective and non-discriminatory criteria. The agency expects this to lead to lower ticket prices and better quality for passengers, as more competition typically improves conditions.
Deutsche Bahn is critical of the plans. It has announced that it may have to reduce less popular long-distance connections in rural areas if it loses train paths on the main lines – because the company earns the money there to cross-subsidize weaker routes. InfraGo emphasizes in a statement that the regulation only applies to heavily frequented sections. The railway warns that the planned rule exacerbates the structural problem of nodes and capacity.
The background to the decision is the planned entry of Italian train operator Italo into the German long-distance market. Italo wants to serve the Munich–Frankfurt–Cologne–Dortmund route hourly and the Munich–Berlin–Hamburg route every two hours from spring 2028. This requires 30 high-speed trains for 56 daily connections. Flix has also announced a new offensive with additional trains for 2028. BNetzA decision is still a draft; after hearing the Railway Infrastructure Advisory Board, the final decision is expected in two weeks. InfraGo must then apply the new rules when allocating train paths for 2028.
Source: www.tagesspiegel.de
