More expensive and worse? - Higher ticket prices and fewer rail services loom
In the transportation sector of Deutsche Bahn, rising track fees are leading to more expensive tickets and fewer connections. "If the increase, which is significantly above the average inflation-adjusted cost increase, is directly passed on to DB Fernverkehr AG, then offer reductions and also ticket price hikes are unavoidable," said a DB spokesperson to the German Press Agency in Berlin on Wednesday. "Concretely, this means that for DB Fernverkehr AG, trains with low passenger numbers would no longer be viable and the offer would have to be accordingly reduced."
Track fees are increasing by nearly 18% for the Bahn
Regarding track fees, these are charges imposed by DB Infrastructure Services InfraGo. All companies using the railway infrastructure, including the railway companies themselves, must pay these fees. The Federal Network Agency recently approved a significant increase in track fees for 2025 - on average, a 6% increase compared to the previous year. The reason for the high increase, according to InfraGo, is higher personnel and material costs from previous years. Due to a legal provision, regional traffic cannot be burdened to such an extent - therefore, the increases will mainly affect long-distance and freight traffic.
For 2025, track fees for long-distance transportation are increasing by approximately 17.7% based on current information. However, there are objections to this. The Federal Government has also indicated that it may support the companies with a special grant.
According to a report by «Spiegel», the Bahn has already drawn up a list of long-distance transportation connections that are to be reduced or eliminated. The report states that the Intercity lines 61 (Karlsruhe - Stuttgart - Aalen - Crailsheim - Nuremberg - Leipzig), 51 (Gera – Weimar – Erfurt – Gotha – Kassel – Dortmund – Cologne), and 34 (Norddeich Mole – Münster – Dortmund – Siegen – Frankfurt) are to be completely eliminated. In addition, according to «Spiegel», the offer of ICE to Stralsund on the Ostsee in the off-season is to be significantly reduced. The magazine refers to a letter from Deutsche Bahn to the Federal Network Agency from early February. The Bahn did not comment on this list or specific planned cuts.
- The rising track fees, primarily affecting long-distance and freight traffic, may lead to expensive ticket prices for rail travel on German Railways, as a result of the significant increase in track fees for 2025.
- Due to the increased track fees and potential elimination or reduction of certain long-distance transportation connections, rail travel, especially on German Railways, may become less accessible, particularly on routes like the Intercity lines 61, 51, and 34.
