Italo pushes for new rail competition rules against Deutsche Bahn in Germany

Italian railway operator Italo has filed a request with Germany’s Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) to secure long‑term track contracts and guaranteed capacity on the country’s rail network before it purchases a fleet of 30 high‑speed trains slated for service from spring 2028. Italo plans 56 daily services on the most profitable long‑distance routes, including a hourly Munich‑Frankfurt‑Cologne‑Dortmund line and a two‑hourly Munich‑Berlin‑Hamburg connection. The company argues that breaking Deutsche Bahn’s 95 % share of long‑distance traffic could boost demand by at least 40 %, according to CEO Gianbattista La Rocca.

Deutsche Bahn, which manages the DB InfraGo infrastructure arm, warns that unchecked competition could lead to “selective service” and a reduction of unprofitable connections, emphasizing its duty to maintain a functional overall system, as stated by passenger‑transport board member Evelyn Palla. The operator also points to chronic network congestion and ongoing infrastructure projects – the Hamburg‑Berlin corridor upgrade and a temporary closure of the Berlin Stadtbahn – that limit capacity for any new entrants.

FlixBus’s rail subsidiary is also preparing to enter the market, having ordered 65 new Talgo trains for €2.4 billion, which would quadruple its current fleet. Experts caution that additional traffic could strain the aging rail network, potentially affecting service quality unless capacity constraints are addressed.