GERMANY’S NEW RAIL STRATEGY LACKS FOCUS ON FREIGHT
On 22 September, German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder presented the new national rail strategy, aimed at addressing the country’s struggling rail sector. The strategy was met with disappointment by the freight sector over the lack of concrete measures.
The strategy outlines reforms such as track access charge adjustments by 2027, a review of single wagonload traffic and further steps to separate DB InfraGO from Deutsche Bahn Group. The planned abolition of the infrastructure department within DB’s Executive Board was cautiously welcomed by freight operators as a step towards reducing the Group’s influence over infrastructure management.
However, the freight sector highlighted that the strategy remains vague and overly focused on passenger traffic. They criticised the lack of measurable transport targets, limited reference to competition in the freight sector, and the absence of clear financial transparency in infrastructure spending. The only reference to competition concerns the non-discriminatory access to the rail network, which stakeholders argue is not a pressing issue. A brief reference to restructuring single wagonload traffic into a hub system does not provide stakeholders sufficient detail to assess potential consequences. The freight sector also noted that the strategy overlooked the structural reforms and investment clarity needed to boost rail freight’s competitiveness.
Source: Railfreight.com