German Freight Wagon Owners Warn of Political Delays Threatening Rail Freight Growth

Germany’s freight wagon owners are raising concerns over mounting challenges facing the rail freight sector, arguing that political delays and incomplete reforms are increasingly undermining the industry's competitiveness and long-term development.

At the annual general meeting of the Association of Freight Wagon Keepers in Germany (VPI) on 17 June, VPI Chairman Malte Lawrenz stressed that the sector’s difficulties are not solely the result of weak economic conditions. According to him, many of the problems currently affecting rail freight stem from insufficient political action and the slow implementation of key measures.

"Announcing measures is not enough. What matters is their consistent and practical implementation. This is precisely where the VPI currently sees significant shortcomings," Lawrenz told delegates.

Among the most pressing concerns, he pointed out Germany’s ongoing railway network renewal programme and the long-delayed reform of track access charges. While the sector supports infrastructure modernisation, Lawrenz warned that inadequate management of construction works could lead to permanent traffic losses and weaken rail’s position in the transport market.

At the same time, the association reiterated its call for the long-promised overhaul of the track access charging system. Freight operators, wagon keepers and logistics providers require stable, predictable and investment-friendly conditions to plan future operations and fleet investments with confidence.

The VPI also urged Germany’s Federal Minister of Transport to resume regular dialogue with industry stakeholders.

"Anyone who wants to shift more freight onto rail must also speak with the companies that organise these services every day," Lawrenz emphasised.

Concerns Over Fragmented Safety Approaches

The association also addressed the ongoing debate following the accident in the Gotthard Base Tunnel. VPI warned against national measures that could create tensions between safety requirements and interoperability standards across Europe.

According to the organisation, collaborative frameworks such as the Joint Network Secretariat (JNS) should be strengthened rather than replaced by country-specific approaches. The association argues that maintaining cross-border interoperability and common European procedures remains essential for ensuring the long-term efficiency of international rail freight operations.

Technical Commission Strengthens European Focus

These strategic issues were further explored during the 26th Technical Information Event (TIV), organised by the VPI Technical Commission in Frankfurt the following day. The conference brought together more than 200 experts from wagon keeper companies, maintenance workshops and other organisations involved in the freight wagon sector.

The event marked the first edition under the leadership of the commission’s new management team. Since the beginning of the year, Frank Sadowski has served as Chairman, supported by Deputy Chairman Stefan Franke. Together, they aim to strengthen the commission’s European orientation and ensure that the sector’s technical expertise plays a more visible role in international discussions and decision-making processes.

A visible sign of this ambition was the event’s format. For the first time, the conference was conducted entirely bilingually, with simultaneous interpretation provided in both German and English.

In his opening speech, Stefan Franke returned to the lessons learned from the Gotthard Base Tunnel accident and underlined the importance of common European principles for rail freight transport.

According to Franke, safety and interoperability should not be viewed as competing priorities but as complementary objectives. He also called for faster deployment of innovations and technical solutions across the sector.

Digital Automatic Coupling and Modern Maintenance in Focus

The conference programme covered a broad range of technical topics, including lessons from the Gotthard incident, shared safety and decision-making processes, developments surrounding the Digital Automatic Coupling (DAC) programme, modern maintenance techniques and emerging technologies for freight wagons.

Discussions throughout the event reinforced a common message: safety, maintenance and interoperability can only be addressed successfully through coordinated European action. Participants broadly agreed that future technical challenges facing rail freight should increasingly be discussed and resolved at the European level rather than through fragmented national approaches.

The meeting highlighted a growing consensus within the sector that Europe’s rail freight industry requires not only technological innovation and infrastructure investment, but also greater regulatory consistency, stronger cooperation and more effective implementation of political commitments if rail is to play a larger role in the continent’s transport system.

_{Source: VPI}