Rail operators and German states sue over regional rail access charges

German rail operators and the Federal Association of Local Rail Transport have taken the dispute over regional rail access charges to court, warning that higher costs could hit passenger services.

The lawsuit, filed at the Cologne Administrative Court, challenges a decision by the Federal Network Agency on the recalculated track-pricing system for 2026. Bavaria has joined the case, which the association said was coordinated with all federal states and its members.

Rail companies pay the charges, effectively a rail infrastructure toll, to Deutsche Bahn’s network operator. Regional transport costs had previously been capped, shifting more of the burden onto freight and long-distance rail. The European Court of Justice ruled in March that the cap did not comply with European law.

The Federal Network Agency then published new prices that the association says will raise regional passenger rail costs by 9% in 2026 and require 400 million euros in additional payments. Further increases could follow. An application from DB InfraGo, the infrastructure operator, indicates average increases of 7.8% for regional passenger rail, according to the association.

The states have demanded full financial compensation from the federal government. They warn that transport services could be cancelled if the increases are not covered. Bavarian Transport Minister Christian Bernreiter called the rises unacceptable and said passengers could face substantial cuts. Regional rail services are commissioned by Germany’s federal states through 26 transport authorities represented by the association.

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The massive increases in track prices are unacceptable. Otherwise, the people who would suffer would be the passengers, who in the worst case could face substantial cuts in local transport.