A planned entry by Italian high-speed operator Italo into the German long-distance rail market is raising concerns over the future of some ICE and IC stops outside Germany’s strongest corridors.
As reported by Der Spiegel, the railway union EVG warns that at least 16 cities could face reduced or discontinued long-distance services if profitable train paths on major routes are taken over by new competitors.
The concern is that Deutsche Bahn could lose revenue on its most attractive long-distance routes, reducing its ability to cross-finance services to smaller or less profitable destinations. DB currently dominates German long-distance rail, with ICE and IC services accounting for about 95% of the market.
According to the EVG analysis cited in German media, cities potentially affected include Aachen, Augsburg, Bamberg, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Freiburg, Ingolstadt, Jena, Magdeburg, Münster, Norddeich Mole, Osnabrück, Rostock, Saarbrücken, Schwerin and Singen. In Trier, a planned IC connection could reportedly be cancelled before launch.
Italo wants to start long-distance operations in Germany from 2028. The company is targeting major corridors including Munich – Frankfurt – Cologne – Dortmund and Munich – Berlin – Hamburg. Train paths are allocated by DB InfraGO under supervision of the Federal Network Agency.
Italo has not issued a specific public response to EVG’s latest warning, but the company has previously argued that its German market entry depends on predictable access to infrastructure. CEO Gianbattista La Rocca has said the project requires clear rules and long-term planning security, warning that without a timely decision Germany could miss a chance to bring more competition into long-distance rail.
EVG is calling for so-called package solutions in the allocation of train paths. Under such a model, a new entrant seeking access to profitable main lines would also have to operate services to smaller cities and regions.
EVG chairman Martin Burkert warned that selective competition on the most profitable routes could damage the overall network. “If Italo is allowed to cherry-pick here and push DB off the main routes, it will dismantle our long-distance transport,” he said, according to German media reports.
Deutsche Bahn has also argued that competition should not lead to a loss of connections in the wider network. DB says it is not opposed to competition, but has warned against overloading major nodes and weakening services on less profitable routes. DB CEO Evelyn Palla has called for better political framework conditions to avoid uncontrolled competition with negative effects for passengers.
