DB InfraGO Seeks €112 Million Track Access Charge Hike for 2027

DB InfraGO, the German rail infrastructure manager, has applied for a 12.6% increase in track access charges for standard freight trains starting in the 2027 timetable year, according to figures reported by RailFreight.com on August 24. The proposed kilometre fare would rise from €3.48 to €3.92, a change industry group Die Güterbahnen estimates would add approximately €112 million a year to the bill for rail freight operators.

The proposal lands as Germany's freight rail sector is already under pressure from a broader wave of infrastructure works and network disruption across the country. Oliver Smock, senior consultant at Die Güterbahnen, criticized the plan, saying freight transport is being "made a pawn by an infrastructure operator that is not being politically controlled."

The timing has compounded uncertainty for operators: shippers have been booking track access slots for the new timetable year since as early as March, without knowing what the final cost picture for 2027 will look like.

The proposal is still subject to regulatory review before taking effect. If approved as filed, it would mark one of the steeper year-on-year increases in German freight track access costs in recent years.