German intermodal operator Kombiverkehr KG has reported mounting threats to the combined transport sector in Germany, despite completing a major corporate transformation and investing in digitalization. In 2025, the company recorded a 13.5% drop in transport volumes – down to 665,981 shipments – while revenue fell to €398.4 million. Key factors included weak industrial demand, high energy and infrastructure costs, and extensive railway network repairs that disrupted schedules and drove up expenses.
The company reported that nearly 4,000 scheduled trains were cancelled due to infrastructure constraints, resulting in a service completion rate of just 84%. International routes accounted for over 510,000 shipments, with Southern Europe – including Italy and Switzerland – remaining the largest market. Despite the downturn, Kombiverkehr highlights the environmental benefits of its operations: its more than 2,600 daily rail services in 2025 helped avoid approximately 1 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Concurrently, the company is developing digital solutions, such as the CT 4.0 data-sharing platform and AI-based tools for optimizing train loading.
With demand rising in the first half of 2026, the operator expects to return to sustainable growth and is already expanding its network with new routes connecting Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Poland. At the same time, Kombiverkehr sharply criticizes Germany’s transport policy and the plans of DB InfraGO, describing them as unreliable and a threat to the stability of rail freight. The company is urging the federal government to urgently implement support measures – such as compensation for detours and exemptions from road tolls for the initial and final legs of combined transport – to maintain the competitiveness of eco-friendly freight transport.