The share of intermodal and private operators in freight transport in Germany is growing
Author: Łukasz Kuś | Translated from Polish
31.12.2025 | In Germany, the share of private companies in the rail freight market is growing. New and private companies have a particularly strong position in intermodal transport, where international companies play a significant role, according to an analysis by the German Federal Network Agency.
For several years, the share of federally owned entities in rail freight transport in Germany has been declining. While state-owned carriers accounted for 45% of transport performance in 2021, this figure fell to 37% in 2024. For the first time, the share of federal companies fell below 40%. Unfortunately, freight transport in our western neighbors also declined during this same period. In 2022, rail freight transport reached 278 billion tkm, compared to 251 billion tkm last year.
Carriers independent of the federal government have a larger share of the combined transport market—last year, they handled 76.0% of rail freight transport. Overall, combined transport accounted for over 40% of all shipments transported by train in Germany. This is significantly more than in Poland, where intermodal accounts for more than 12% of rail freight transport.
International Services
The significant importance of combined transport in German rail is due to the fact that Germany is home to Europe's most important international rail trunk lines, connecting North Sea ports with countries such as Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic, and Poland. International intermodal operators, including private companies, are present on these routes. DB Cargo has the largest share of intermodal transport in Germany, while the largest independent operators are (in alphabetical order): boxXpress, Crossrail/BLS, Metrans, SBB Cargo International, and TX-Logistik.
In terms of freight transport in Germany as a whole, federal government-owned companies hold approximately 40% of the market share, foreign state-owned companies control 20%, foreign private companies 18%, domestic private companies 11%, domestic public companies 9%, and foreign public companies 3%. A total of 256 companies, 183 of which are private, provide freight transport in Germany.
The average distance traveled by freight trains in Germany has been increasing for several years, driven by a decline in domestic transport, primarily mass transport, and the growing importance of international transport, including intermodal transport. In 2020, the average distance traveled by freight trains in Germany was 337 km, and last year it increased to 362 km.
The economic slowdown in Germany is impacting freight volume. In 2022, freight railways in the country transported 427 million tons, compared to only 371 million tons last year. Train punctuality is also declining, due to numerous disruptions caused by repairs and poor infrastructure. In 2020, 66% of German trains were on time, compared to 55% last year.