Italo accuses DB of blocking German market entry
GERMANY: Italo, the Italian high-speed operator, has filed a formal complaint with Germany’s network regulator accusing Deutsche Bahn of a coordinated strategy to block its market entry — putting a EUR 1.2 billion rolling stock order with Siemens at risk if the dispute is not resolved by June.
Bundesnetzagentur, Germany’s network regulator whose decision-making chamber rules on access disputes, held a hearing on 22 May but closed without a decision, giving parties a deadline for final submissions before an expected ruling in mid-June.
Italo has accused DB InfraGO of operating a multi-level strategy designed to prevent competition on Germany’s most profitable corridors — a charge DB denies, pointing to existing competition from Eurostar, FlixTrain and Westbahn as evidence it does not obstruct market access.
Siemens contract as deadline
The commercial pressure is specific. Italo CEO Gianbattista La Rocca has demanded certainty on long-term capacity before the end of May, citing Siemens’ production scheduling: the contract for a planned 26 Velaro sets must be signed before June or the industrial timeline breaks.
The network regulator has signalled the complaint may have substance, noting that DB holds around 93% of Germany’s long-distance passenger rail market. FlixTrain has separately filed an objection to Italo’s application for long-term path access, adding a second line of friction to a process Italo needs resolved quickly.
Regulator’s next move
A mid-June ruling will determine whether Italo receives the capacity commitments it needs to proceed. Without them, the EUR 3.6 billion programme — 26 trains, two corridors, 56 daily services from 2028 — cannot proceed.
The EU’s Capacity Management Regulation, adopted 19 May, will require infrastructure managers to offer multi-year path planning from december 2030. Italo is pressing for the principle to be applied now.
Two corridors
Italo’s German network will run on two corridors: Munich–Cologne–Dortmund and Munich–Berlin–Hamburg. The company plans 56 daily services across a 1,300 km network connecting 18 cities, with a target launch in the first half of 2028.
The 26 Siemens Velaro sets will be manufactured at Siemens’ Krefeld plant — the same facility that produces DB’s ICE 3neo fleet. First deliveries are expected ahead of the 2028 launch, with the full fleet operational by the end of that year.