The German Ministry of Transport plans to review the European Court of Justice ruling on the rail‑usage price cap. A ministry spokesman told the dts news agency on Friday that the judgment initially provides legal certainty from the ministry’s standpoint.
In assessing a possible reform of the rail‑price system, the ministry will take the ruling into account. “We still need to await the decision of the Administrative Court in Cologne” the spokesperson added. He said the reform will be examined and presented in the near future.
He also clarified that the Federal Network Agency operates independently in its regulatory role and is not subject to special supervision by the Ministry of Transport. “It remains unclear how the ruling will affect rail prices” he said. “A technical assessment of the market viability of regional passenger rail will be required, and the Federal Network Agency will produce that analysis as part of the process”.
The European Court of Justice, on Thursday, held that Germany’s price‑cap regulation for local rail usage contravened EU law. The Luxembourg judges noted that infrastructure operators should have some discretion in setting fees to exercise independent management. The German regulation, however, does not give operators sufficient leeway, thereby undermining the goal of maintaining efficient and competitive rail transport.