Judgment of the Court (Fourth Chamber) of 19 March 2026 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Verwaltungsgericht Köln – Germany) – DB InfraGO AG, DB RegioNetz Infrastruktur GmbH v Bundesrepublik Deutschland

(Case C-770/24,  (1) DB InfraGO and DB RegioNetz Infrastruktur)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Rail transport - Directive 2012/34/EC - Railway infrastructure - Management independence - Article 4(2) - Independence of infrastructure managers - Infrastructure and services charges - Article 29(1) - Establishing, determining and collecting charges - Charging scheme for charges for the use of the German railway infrastructure - Short-distance rail passenger transport - Calculation of the amount of the charges - Multiplication of the amount of the average charges levied during a reference period by a fixed annual rate of increase laid down by law)

(C/2026/2863)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Verwaltungsgericht Köln

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicants: DB InfraGO AG, DB RegioNetz Infrastruktur GmbH

Defendant: Bundesrepublik Deutschland

intervening parties: DB Fernverkehr AG, DB Cargo AG, Land Berlin, Bayerische Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH, Zweckverband Nahverkehr Westfalen-Lippe, Land Brandenburg, Land Baden-Württemberg, Land Sachsen-Anhalt, BBL Logistik GmbH, boxXpress.de GmbH, DeltaRail GmbH, Eisenbahngesellschaft Potsdam mbH, Havelländische Eisenbahn AG, HSL Logistik GmbH, Hupac Intermodal SA, ITL Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH, Lineas NV, METRANS Rail (Deutschland) GmbH, Rheincargo GmbH & Co. KG, SBB Cargo Deutschland GmbH, TX Logistik AG, Verkehrsbetriebe Peine-Salzgitter GmbH, FlixTrain GmbH, Zweckverband go.Rheinland, RDC Autozug Sylt GmbH, BTE BahnTouristikExpress GmbH

Operative part of the judgment

Article 4(2) and Article 29(1) of Directive 2012/34/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 establishing a single European railway area, as amended by Directive (EU) 2016/2370 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016, must be interpreted as

precluding national legislation which requires the railway infrastructure manager to calculate the amount of the charges applicable in the sector of short-distance rail passenger transport services by means of a mathematical formula consisting of multiplying the amount of the average charges levied during a reference period by a fixed annual rate of increase laid down by law.

---

(1)  OJ C, C/2025/1737.