The Eisenbahn- und Verkehrsgewerkschaft (EVG) has voiced serious concerns regarding the planned entry of the Italian rail company Italo onto the highly lucrative Munich-Dortmund and Munich-Hamburg routes. According to an analysis published by “Bild am Sonntag,” the union fears that up to 16 German cities could be disconnected from ICE and IC services.
Martin Burkert, the head of the EVG, warned that if Italo confines its operations to merely exploiting the most profitable main lines, it risks dismantling the country’s long-distance transport network. This, he cautioned, would allow Deutsche Bahn to reduce the cross-subsidization of rail services in provincial areas.
Burkert stated that this scenario would leave certain cities behind, leading to longer travel times, as passengers might be forced to commute via slow regional trains just to reach major long-distance stations.
The EVG’s analysis details the massive potential impact of an Italo market entry on long-distance transport at 16 specific locations: Aachen, Augsburg, Bamberg, Chemnitz, Cottbus, Freiburg, Ingolstadt, Jena, Magdeburg, Münster, Norddeich Mole, Osnabrück, Rostock, Saarbrücken, Schwerin, and Singen. Furthermore, a planned IC connection in Trier is also threatened.
Burkert called on Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder (CDU) to ensure that competition is fair, urging the minister not to stand idly by. The EVG chairman demands package solutions when reassigning rail lines, requiring Italo to commit to servicing provincial routes. He concluded, “Anyone looking to make a solid profit on the main lines should not be too fussy about whether they serve cities like Schwerin, Augsburg, or Jena.”
