General framework
Demand for train-paths increased again
There are now more than 420 TOCs in Germany, which have submitted a total of 84,038 train-path requests to DB Netz AG for the 2019 annual timetable, 5.9% more than in the previous year. Of this increase, market growth accounts for about 1 percentage point, while the majority is due to increased construction volume which is resulting in many more construction-related variants. In addition, customers are being advised more intensively, resulting in more precise orders with several time slices. Of all the train-path registrations, long-distance rail passenger transport accounted for the largest increase of more than 35% (freight transport +17%, regional rail passenger transport +1%).