Germany's DB InfraGO Plans to Raise Rail Freight Track Charges by 12.9% in 2027

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 5, German railway infrastructure operator DB InfraGO published its 2027 track charge plan, intending to apply to the German Federal Network Agency for target revenue of 7.5 billion euros. Based on current calculations, rail freight track usage charges are planned to rise by an average of 12.9%, while regional rail passenger and long-distance rail passenger charges are planned to increase by 7.7% and 5.0% respectively, with an average increase of 7.9% across all transport types.

The revenue scale declared by DB InfraGO this time is lower than the total cost ceiling of 8.2 billion euros previously determined by the Cologne Administrative Court. In its ruling in early October, the court allowed DB InfraGO to adopt a higher cost basis in the 2027 charging procedure, but the company did not declare at the maximum amount permitted by the court and instead continued to use the target revenue of 7.5 billion euros.

The final 2027 charge level remains linked to the railway infrastructure maintenance funding borne by the German federal government. DB InfraGO confirmed that after the federal government and the company complete the infrastructure financing agreement and determine the specific maintenance subsidy amount, the 7.5 billion euro application amount may still be adjusted downward, after which the German Federal Network Agency will complete the charge approval.

Germany's railway track charging system already underwent a readjustment in 2026. After the European Court of Justice ruled in March that the cap on regional rail passenger track charge increases in Germany violated EU law, the German Federal Network Agency revoked the previously approved 2026 charging plan in July and recalculated it. After the renewed approval, DB InfraGO's rail freight track charges were reduced by about 12% compared with the originally approved level, long-distance passenger charges by about 17%, while regional passenger charges were increased by about 9%.

DB InfraGO also published preliminary charging calculations for 2028, temporarily based on target revenue of 8.6 billion euros, corresponding to an average increase of about 15.1% in track charges across all transport types. These figures have not yet entered the final declaration stage and will still be adjusted later according to the scale of the federal government's railway network maintenance funding.