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2 clusters · 7 sources · 6 days · First seen · Last updated

German regional rail track access charge dispute

Overview

German federal states and rail associations have initiated legal action at the Cologne Administrative Court to contest rising track access charges (Trassenpreise) for regional passenger rail.

The dispute follows a March ruling by the European Court of Justice which determined that previous pricing models—which capped regional costs by shifting the burden to freight and long-distance transport—were inconsistent with European law. In response, the Federal Network Agency released new pricing.

The Federal Association of Regional Rail Transport (BSN), various railway companies, and the state of Bavaria have filed suit to address these changes. Projections suggest a 9 percent price increase for 2026, totaling approximately 400 million euros in additional costs, with further annual increases expected.

German states, including Saarland and Bavaria, have organized legal and financial support to prevent these costs. Officials have warned that without compensation, states may be forced to cancel train connections, potentially threatening the viability of the ‘Deutschlandticket’ due to reduced service availability.

Entities

Administrative Court of Cologne · Bavaria · Verwaltungsgericht Köln · Deutsche Bahn · Petra Berg

Timeline

  1. 10 days ago

    [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    German rail associations sue over regional track access charges

    The BSN and several railway companies, including the state of Bavaria, have sued to contest rising track access charges for German regional rail following a European Court of Justice ruling.

  2. 16 days ago

    [POLITICS] 6 sources
    German states to sue over rising railway track access charges

    German states are preparing a lawsuit in Cologne against rising track access charges to prevent hundreds of millions in extra costs and potential cuts to rail services and the Deutschlandticket.

Sources

ad-hoc-news.de · it-boltwise.de · oevz.com · redaktion-paedagogik.de · saarbruecker-zeitung.de · stopbullying.gov · verkehr.co.at