The prospect of rival rail operators gaining equitable access to the Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) widely-used “DB Navigator” app appears to be receding, despite a clear mandate from Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU). DB is demonstrating considerable reluctance to transfer the app from its long-distance passenger division (DB Fernverkehr) to the infrastructure arm, InfraGO, a move seen as crucial for fostering genuine competition in the German rail market.
While DB acknowledges that the app’s transfer is “mentioned” in Minister Schnieder’s September-released “Agenda for Satisfied Customers on the Rails” the company stopped short of providing a timeline or committing to the relocation. Schnieder’s agenda had explicitly called for the transfer to occur “in the short term” fueling anticipation amongst competitors.
The core issue lies in the fundamentally different operational ethos of the two divisions. InfraGO, as an infrastructure entity, is explicitly geared towards public benefit, unlike DB Fernverkehr, which operates with commercial considerations. Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) has already criticized DB for disadvantaging competitors on its digital platforms, specifically through practices such as prioritizing its own services in search results.
According to reports from “Der Spiegel”, DB believes that should the transfer occur, InfraGO would be obligated to purchase the app from DB Fernverkehr. The app represents a substantial investment for the company, with recent valuations placing its worth at up to €1.5 billion. DB fears that forcing InfraGO to fund this acquisition would trigger scrutiny from the European Commission, potentially being classified as illegal cross-subsidization. Furthermore, establishing the necessary distribution infrastructure within InfraGO constitutes a considerable organizational challenge.
Flixtrain, a prominent competitor to DB, is dismissing these concerns as deliberately obstructive. CEO André Schwämmlein argues that the transfer “is neither legally nor economically a problem” pointing out that the Navigator was already moved from DB Vertrieb to DB Fernverkehr in 2023. He advocates for a future where all rail providers’ schedules and fares are displayed within the app, enabling seamless ticket bookings. Schwämmlein accuses DB of stalling and laments the lack of tangible progress since Minister Schnieder initially announced the strategy in September, stating that the situation remains unchanged. The episode underscores ongoing tensions between the desire for a more competitive rail sector and the entrenched market position of Germany’s national rail operator, raising questions about the government’s ability to enforce its own initiatives.
