Flix CEO André Schwämmlein stated that he does not see a potential market entry by the Italian rail operator Italo as competition for Flix, but rather as a major problem for Deutsche Bahn (DB). Schwämmlein told the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that if Italo decides to enter the German market, the consequence will “very strongly go against Deutsche Bahn.” He added that Flix has already established a complementary service to the offerings of DB since 2018.
Looking ahead, Schwämmlein confirmed that even with the order for 65 new Talgo trains slated for 2028, Flix intends to maintain its model of affordable rail travel and plans to significantly expand the market. To achieve this, the company also plans to deepen its collaboration with local public transport. “We want to bring tens of millions of additional passengers onto the rails,” Schwämmlein said. By 2028, Flix aims to provide a high-speed network that is “on par” with DB.
Regarding the situation with Italo, Schwämmlein commented that the new route quota suggested by the Federal Network Agency does not allow new players better track access; instead, it merely resolves conflicts in exceptional cases. The Italian operator had been seeking to secure highly profitable routes through multi-year framework contracts, a proposal that the Federal Network Agency had declined. However, a European Union-wide regulation concerning this matter is expected to be implemented in the early 2030s.
