Preparation of the 2025 schedule

About 90,000 train-path applications have been received for the 2025 schedule (about –1%). There were also registration conflicts because several TOCs ordered the same time slot on the same infrastructure. While the number of registration conflicts only increased slightly, the number of capacity conflicts increased by about 8% to a total of 120. A capacity conflict arises in the context of construction-related restrictions, for which the capacity was distributed in advance to the transport types long-distance rail passenger transport, regional rail passenger transport and rail freight transport. In the event of a capacity conflict, there are more train-paths registered for one type of transport than there is capacity. The majority of the capacity conflicts in the 2025 schedule resulted from the two general modernizations of the Hamburg — Berlin and Emmerich — Oberhausen lines and construction work in the Elbe Valley between Dresden and the Czech Republic. As a result, more train-path inquiries had to be rejected or shortened than in the previous year.

Train-path applications from intra-Group and non-Group TOCs developed in different ways:

• The share of non-Group TOCs in long-distance rail passenger transport increased by about 13%, although applications in the overall market fell by about 2% at the same time.
• In regional rail passenger transport, the number of applications from non-Group TOCs rose by about 2%, while the overall market remained roughly the same.
• About 3% fewer train-path applications have been received from rail freight transport TOCs compared to the previous year, while application from non-Group TOCs fell by about 15%.

The schedule process is subject to a very strict regulatory framework and is monitored by the BNetzA. The working schedule for 2024/2025 was completed in due time in November 2024.