Rail promotion
Bahn boss: High rail toll threatened to offer long -distance transport
Retiring route prices burden the railway companies in Germany. Use will be the support of politics, says rail director Richard Lutz – otherwise the train must react
The head of Deutsche Bahn, Richard Lutz, sees an urgent need for action in the increased increased route prices for railway companies. Without a higher funding from politics, the German press agency said Lutz told the German Press Agency.
Lutz: Will check and adapt offer
The route prices are a kind of toll that companies have to pay for the use of the rail to the rail infrastructure subsidiary DB Infrago. This also applies to the long-distance, regional and freight traffic divisions of the federal group. The money is to be used, among other things, for the maintenance of the network.
“If this year’s route promotion and the later reform of the route price system are not sufficiently carried out, long -distance traffic must check its offer for economic load -bearing capacity and if necessary,” said Lutz. “This could run counter to the political goal of relocating traffic to the climate -friendly rail.”
In freight transport, the support requirement for all companies this year is around 350 million euros. “At the moment there is an amount of 275 million. The gap in long -distance transport is a bit larger,” emphasized Lutz. “Structurally, a reform of the route price system is needed. It is also in the coalition agreement.”
Increases of more than 20 percent registered
The head of the railway and transport union (EVG) and Vice Chair of the Bahn Supervisory Board, Martin Burkert, also warned of rising route prices. “The Bundestag has to stop the price hammer. In the case of household consultations, MPs have to mitigate the rail toll through targeted support. Otherwise, rail customers will face historical price increases of significantly more than 10 percent this year,” he told the “Bild” newspaper. Burkert also warned that long -distance traffic connections could be significantly thinned out even on busy routes.
The route prices are calculated by the infrago and must be approved by the Federal Network Agency. The approval procedure for 2026 is currently underway. In the room there is an increase in regional traffic of 23.5 percent. Long -distance traffic would be 10.1 percent higher prices. In freight traffic, they are said to increase by 14.8 percent.
Among other things, the prices have increased so much because the federal government has equipped the train with an additional billion in equity. The railway must pay interest on this capital, which is financed through the route prices. The more equity, the more interest, the higher the route prices.
In addition to a reform of the route price system, the old federal government has therefore also promised short-term financial aid for the railway companies. In addition to an increase in route price funding, there is a limitation of equity interest in the room.
Ongoing procedure before the ECJ
Until the Federal Network Agency decides on the prices for the coming year, a few more months are likely to pass. The authority is currently still waiting for a procedure before the European Court of Justice. It is about whether a limitation of the route price increases for regional traffic is legal or not.
“For the household years 2025 and 2026, it is to be hoped that the parliamentary procedure for the household will still find ways to close the still existing financing gaps,” emphasized Lutz. “But if the political framework does not give it, all companies in the market economy and competitive traffic markets have to limit themselves to those offers that can be represented in their own business.” This applies to Deutsche Bahn companies as well as for competitors.
dpa
Source: Stern
