European environment
DB Group
Regulation (EU) 2026 / 1184 on the use of railway infrastructure capacity in the single European railway area (Capacity Regulation)
The Capacity Regulation came into force on June 12, 2026. The regulation changes the management of the rail infrastructure from an annual, manual and nationally fragmented process to a multi-year, Europe-wide coordinated system with increased preconstruction. The new rules are intended to help ensure that international passenger and freight transport connections are coordinated more effectively and efficiently. The first optimized schedule using the new system will be introduced in December 2030.
Industrial Accelerator Act to strengthen the European economy
On March 4, 2026, the European Commission presented the Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA). The goal is to strengthen the industrial competitiveness of the European economy and reduce the EU’s dependence on third countries. The proposed regulation aims to increase demand for low-carbon technologies and products manufactured in Europe. To this end, requirements for “made in the EU” and / or low-carbon products are to be introduced for public procurement and public funding programs. These apply to selected strategic sectors, especially in the areas of steel, cement, aluminum, automotive and net-zero technologies. The rail sector is not currently one of the strategic sectors as defined in the proposed regulation. However, the requirements also apply to public tenders issued by DB’s sector contracting authorities, such as those for the procurement of superstructure materials for the rail infrastructure – including the product groups of steel, concrete / cement and aluminum – as well as spare parts for rolling stock. The European Commission also proposes examining expanding the scope of the regulation to include additional sectors that are critical to the EU’s economic security three years after the regulation comes into force. This includes the construction of rolling stock.
Draft regulation on military mobility
On November 19, 2025, the European Commission presented a draft regulation to speed up cross-border military transport by rail and road. This contains measures to remove regulatory obstacles and to establish an emergency framework, which, among other things, provides for priority access to the rail infrastructure and the use of rolling stock from a so-called solidarity pool. The next step is for the Council and the European Parliament to adopt the draft regulation. Given the urgency of the matter, this is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
Passenger transport
EU Passenger Package
On May 13, 2026, the European Commission presented a comprehensive legislative package designed to fundamentally transform the European rail ticketing market. The package contains three proposed pieces of legislation: the Multimodal Booking Regulation, the Rail Ticketing Regulation and an amendment to the Passenger Rights Regulation. They require rail companies such as DB Group to sell third-party tickets and to sell tickets through third parties, as well as ensuring continuous passenger rights even on trips involving multiple contracts of carriage.
The European Commission’s goal of simplifying cross-border travel in Europe is to be welcomed in principle. However, the regulations currently proposed significantly interfere with private-sector contract terms and could lead to significant risks. In principle, distribution autonomy should be preserved; the newly proposed regulations on passenger rights should be designed in accordance with the “polluter pays” principle, and business risks should remain proportionate.
European Commission adopts new state aid rules for land and multimodal transport
The new State aid Land and Multimodal Transport Guidelines (formerly: Railway Guidelines), as well as the newly introduced Transport Block Exemption Regulation (TBER) for state aid in the transport sector, came into force on March 30, 2026. In the future, these two instruments will establish the framework under state aid law for national support in the transport sector. The revision is aimed at promoting more sustainable modes of transport for both passenger and freight transport. The new rules allow for more generous and faster support measures for the rail sector. They clarify the admissibility of state aid for operations and capital expenditures and, for the first time, also outline the possibilities for state aid in the form of compensation payments for the fulfillment of public service obligations in rail freight transport. The new regulation is effective until December 31, 2034. The guidelines have no expiration date.