Overview
- The European Court of Justice struck down Germany’s cap on regional track-access fees in March, and the Bundesnetzagentur in July rebalanced charges to raise regional fees by about €400 million while cutting long-distance and freight charges.
- The repricing will shift several hundred million euros in new costs onto the federal states, with Schleswig-Holstein reporting DB InfraGO claims of roughly €7.2 million for 2025 and €15.1 million for 2026.
- In a special virtual transport ministers’ conference on Thursday the Länder demanded full federal compensation, threatened legal action if the Bund refuses, and warned they may cancel services to avoid deeper budget holes.
- DB InfraGO has filed suit against the Bundesnetzagentur’s decision, a move that could delay final price-setting and leave 2026 budgeting and operational planning uncertain for local rail operators.
- Until now Germany limited regional track fees and shifted costs to long-distance and freight traffic while using federal top-ups; ministers say that funding must be reformed or regionalization grants increased to protect local services and the Deutschlandticket.