Bahn: Bund gibt mehr Geld für Einzelwagenverkehr auf der Schiene

The German government is expanding financial support for rail transport, particularly single wagon transport, with an increase of up to 84 million euros this year, according to the Federal Ministry of Transport. Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU) and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) agreed on this initiative. The goal is to encourage securing single wagon transport in the country and increase traffic shifts from road to rail.

Single wagons are collected from industrial customers and assembled into long trains at railyards, which are then broken down at the destination. Bilger emphasized that single wagon transport is vital for many companies, allowing for rail transport of smaller quantities and binding enterprises nationwide to the rail network. Although single wagon transport is complex and costly, Bilger highlighted its importance for the economy as an integral part of rail transport chains.

The additional federal funding is possible due to unused expenditure reserves, leaving a total of up to 384 million euros in subsidies for single wagon transport in the current year. Allianz pro Schiene's CEO Dirk Flege praised the signal sent to freight railways in Germany and the manufacturing industry, stating it is a timely boost for the German economic location.

He expressed the need for a similar signal in the coming year, urging the Bundestag to reverse the 26 million euro cuts in single wagon transport subsidies for the 2027 budget year and increase the amount to a similar level.