Despite the claims, the German government continues to retreat from its climate protection targets in the transport sector. This has a particular impact on railways and combined transport, as the manager of Kombiverkehr KG said when presenting the results for the 2023 financial year. Continuous increases in rail tariffs, the end of subsidies and the government’s refusal to cover the additional costs of upgrading high-speed corridors are negatively impacting the goals of shifting freight from road to rail.
In 2023, Kombiverkehr KG failed to repeat the positive dynamics of previous years, transporting only 815,467 freight units, a decrease of 15.9% compared to the previous year. Managing Director Armin Riedl noted that the decline in traffic volumes is due to the weakening economy and the unstable quality of railway services due to engineering work on the infrastructure. The company ended the year with a turnover of 435.2 million euros, down 27.5 million euros compared to the previous year, and a net loss of 332,000 euros.
However, Kombiverkehr continues to expand its transport services. In March 2024, the company launched a new route Cologne-Eifeltor – Rotterdam, and a direct connection between Belgium and Spain is planned in the fall. Transportation to Serbia has also been increased with the integration of the terminal in Niš into the network. In 2023, Kombiverkehr trains carried 19.11 million tonnes of freight, helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.19 million tonnes, in line with the climate targets of the European Green Deal.