The European Commission, authorised, on Friday 24 February, a €1.1 billion German scheme to compensate rail transport operators using electric traction in the context of the recent spike in electricity prices.
The aim is to help rail operators cover part of the additional electricity cost experienced due to the exceptional increases in electricity prices in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine. In doing so, the scheme aims to support and preserve the modal shift from road to rail transport using electric traction, thus promoting a greener means of transport.
The aid will take the form of monthly reductions in the freight and passenger rail transport operators’ electricity bills. The electricity suppliers will then be reimbursed by the German State only for the economic support provided to the rail transport operators. The scheme will cover electricity consumed between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023.
For the Commission, the measure will help ensure that the rail sector remains competitive while preserving the environmental performance of electric rail, in line with the objectives of the Commission’s Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and the European Green Deal. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)