Regional Rail +9%, Long-Distance -17%: Why Local Trains Are Now Paying More!

Railway companies have to pay so-called track access charges whenever they operate trains on Germany's rail infrastructure. Put simply, they are a form of railway toll.

Germany's Federal Network Agency approved a new set of charges for 2026 on July 22. The change followed a European Court of Justice ruling from March 19, 2026, which found Germany's previous cap on regional rail charges incompatible with EU law.

The result is substantial. On DB InfraGO's network, charges for regional passenger rail rise by 9 percent compared with the amount previously approved for 2026. Long-distance passenger rail charges fall by 17 percent, while freight falls by 12 percent. Across the system, the Federal Network Agency says regional rail faces around €400 million in additional costs.

At first glance, that sounds contradictory. Germany wants stronger public transport, yet operating regional trains on the infrastructure is becoming more expensive.

However, the change is not simply a political decision to favour long-distance trains. The previous system capped regional rail increases, meaning rising infrastructure costs had to be carried more heavily by long-distance and freight services. After the European court ruling, those charges had to be recalculated.

Passengers will not automatically see services cut or ticket prices rise because of this decision. Germany's states are warning that those outcomes could eventually follow if the extra costs are not compensated.

At a special transport ministers' conference on August 6, the states unanimously called on the federal government to cover the additional financial burden. They warned that regional services could otherwise be cancelled and said they were prepared to take joint legal action against the new charging decision if necessary.

That leaves one central question: who should pay the additional €400 million?

If the federal government covers the costs, taxpayers will carry more of the burden. If Germany's states and regional transport authorities have to absorb them, the money may have to come from elsewhere in public transport budgets. And if services eventually have to be reduced, passengers could end up with fewer trains at the same time Germany is encouraging them to use public transport more often.

No such nationwide service cuts have been decided so far. They remain a warning from the states, not an established consequence.

The Deutschlandticket makes that conflict even more visible. A simple nationwide fare is less useful if the actual rail service becomes worse. At the same time, somebody has to fund the infrastructure those trains use.

So what do you think: is the new distribution understandable following the European court ruling, or is making regional trains more expensive exactly the wrong signal?

_{Copyright: Deutsche Bahn AG / Wolfgang Klee}