EU Court Ruling Triggers €400 Million Back Payments for German Regional Trains

The European Court of Justice ruled that Germany’s "Trassenpreisbremse" limiting track fees for regional trains was incompatible with EU law. As a result, DB InfraGO, the infrastructure subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn, must collect around €400 million in back payments for 2024 from regional train operators. State transport ministers warn that the extra cost could force reductions in regional train services, higher fares and threaten the Germany ticket, with Brandenburg’s infrastructure minister Robert Crumbach demanding the federal government adjust regionalisation funds.

Separately, DB InfraGO has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Network Agency over the 2027 track‑price ceiling of €7.317 billion, arguing the cap creates a financing gap for rail network maintenance if federal subsidies do not materialise. The company seeks a judicial review in the Cologne Administrative Court, contesting the agency’s assumptions about future federal funding.