GERMANY: DB InfraGO will waive selected track cancellation charges when operators reduce passenger or freight services during extreme heat, creating more flexibility to stabilize the national rail network.

Red DB Cargo locomotive 193 315 hauling a freight train through Solnhofen station in Bavaria
DB Cargo locomotive 193 315 hauling a freight train through Solnhofen, shown as an illustrative view of German rail freight; the image does not depict the 2026 heatwave measure. Photo: Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Germany’s infrastructure manager will apply the temporary arrangement nationwide from 30 July to 6 August 2026. North Rhine-Westphalia, Baden-Württemberg, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland entered the period one day earlier because of the temperatures forecast there.

Under the official DB InfraGO arrangement, selected provisions of track access agreements will be suspended for the defined period, including cancellation charges. The measure covers regional and long-distance passenger trains as well as rail freight.

Operators retain control over service reductions

DB InfraGO says a less crowded network can provide operational reserves when heat disrupts infrastructure, rolling stock or working conditions. This should give the trains that remain in the timetable a better chance of running reliably.

Operators would also receive more time to reorganize vehicles and staff, while passengers could learn earlier whether a train will run or whether they need an alternative connection. The infrastructure manager will not order cancellations: regional transport authorities and individual railway undertakings retain the decision.

The nationwide window is the first use of the new mechanism and currently runs through 6 August. DB InfraGO plans to recommend proportionate service reductions whenever forecasts indicate temperatures above 35°C, but each operator will decide whether to act. The announcement does not identify specific trains for removal from the timetable.

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June heatwave drives a more proactive response

The policy follows disruption during the heatwave at the end of June, when high temperatures affected railway infrastructure, trains and employees. Technical failures increased, leading to delays, short-notice cancellations, interrupted passenger journeys and freight consignments arriving late.

“In future, we will act more proactively when heatwaves with temperatures above 35 degrees are forecast,” said DB InfraGO CEO Philipp Nagl. “Only in this way can we protect the stability of the overall system.”

DB InfraGO’s next step is to develop pre-agreed service concepts with passenger operators, allowing both sides to respond faster when another period of extreme heat is forecast.

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