Transport system · Freight
Germany moves more than four billion tonnes of goods a year, most of it by lorry. This sheet sets out the modal split, the instruments the federal government uses to influence it, and what Federal Minister Steffen Bilger has announced, together with the criticism his first budget drew from the rail sector.
Modal split, 2024
Two measures are used. Tonnes count what is loaded. Tonne-kilometres (one tonne moved one kilometre) also count distance, so they show better how much transport work each mode does. Rail and waterways gain share on that measure because their loads travel further.
| Mode | Million tonnes | Share of tonnes | Bn tonne-km | Share of tkm | Share of tkm (bar) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Road (lorries) | 3,340.7 | 78.9% | 474.5 | 70.7% | |
| Rail | 362.3 | 8.6% | 133.3 | 19.9% | |
| Inland waterway | 173.8 | 4.1% | 43.4 | 6.5% | |
| Sea shipping | 269.8 | 6.4% | — | — | not reported |
| Pipeline (crude oil) | 83.6 | 2.0% | 18.4 | 2.7% | |
| Air | 4.9 | 0.1% | 1.5 | 0.2% | |
| Total | 4,235.0 | 100% | 671.1 | 100% |
Shares are our own calculation from the Destatis table and may not add to exactly 100% because of rounding. Destatis does not report tonne-kilometres for sea shipping in this table, so the tonne-km total covers land transport, inland waterways, pipelines and air. In 2023 the tonne-km total was 675.5 billion, of which road accounted for 480.7 billion, or about 71.2%.
Policy context
The federal government does not run freight companies. It shapes the market through charges, subsidies, infrastructure and technical standards. Four levers matter most.
A distance-based charge for lorries on Autobahns and federal roads. Since December 2023 it has included a CO2 component, and since July 2024 it has applied to lorries over 3.5 tonnes. Revenue is estimated at €13.48 billion for 2026 and €13.2 billion in the 2027 draft. Under the financing bill approved on 7 October 2026, the infrastructure share (about €4.5 billion a year) is to go directly to the Autobahn GmbH from 2028.
Rail freight operators pay charges to use the network. The federal government subsidises part of these charges to keep rail competitive with road. The 2027 draft budget plans €200.26 million for this, down from €265 million in 2026.
Support for the costly business of collecting individual wagons from sidings. In 2026 up to €384 million is available, including an extra €84 million announced on 28 August 2026.
Public money for infrastructure the market would not build alone: a fast-charging network for electric lorries on the Autobahn, and pioneer trains with digital automatic coupling.
Section A — documented announcement
At the IAA Transportation trade fair in Hanover on 15 September 2026 Bilger announced that the nationwide fast-charging network for electric lorries was moving into delivery, after contracts had been awarded in the summer.
The ministry puts the federal funding at around €1 billion. The network covers about 350 Autobahn sites: 124 unmanaged rest areas and about 225 managed service areas. In total there will be about 4,200 charging points, roughly 1,800 using the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) for very fast charging and about 2,400 using the CCS standard. Five contractors will build and operate the points at unmanaged sites, and a second tender for managed sites is in preparation. The aim is to let drivers charge quickly during short breaks and for longer during their legally required rest periods.
The programme was tendered before Bilger took office. His part has been to announce its move into delivery. Whether hauliers buy electric lorries at scale will also depend on vehicle prices, the CO2 toll and electricity costs. These questions are discussed on future mobility.
Documented: rail freight
Bilger's first weeks brought new rail-freight money and, in the same budget cycle, cuts that the sector opposed. Both belong in the record.
On 28 August 2026 the ministry added up to €84 million for single-wagon traffic. The ministry puts this segment at about 18% of rail freight, serving more than 2,000 loading points. Bilger: Die Förderung des Einzelwagenverkehrs ist eine wichtige Säule für einen wettbewerbsfähigen Schienengüterverkehr in unserem Land.
("Support for single-wagon traffic is an important pillar of competitive rail freight", translation.)
On 4 September 2026 a new programme of about €36 million was launched for "pioneer trains" with digital automatic coupling (DAK). Bilger: Die Digitale Automatische Kupplung stellt eine bedeutende Modernisierung für den Schienengüterverkehr dar.
("Digital automatic coupling represents a significant modernisation for rail freight", translation.)
European freight wagons are still largely coupled by hand, with screw couplings and hoses that workers attach between the wagons. DAK connects wagons automatically and carries power and data along the train. The programme, administered by the Federal Office for Logistics and Mobility (BALM), funds testing in real operation, further development and studies. It builds on the completed European DAC4 research project and is meant to inform a decision on Europe-wide roll-out. The technology is explained on digital mobility.
The government's 2027 draft for the transport budget, which Bilger presented in the Bundestag on 8 September 2026, plans €200.26 million for the rail-freight track-access subsidy, compared with €265 million in 2026. The subsidy for long-distance passenger trains falls from €200 million to €5.34 million. No statement by Bilger specifically defending the freight cut was found in the sources.
On 19 August 2026 Allianz pro Schiene, the rail-sector alliance led by managing director Dirk Flege, sent Bilger five demands. These included opposition to €145 million of cuts to rail freight in 2027 and reform of track-access charges. VerkehrsRundschau reported that the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) and the German Transport Forum (DVF) criticised the cuts as weakening reliability and planning security for rail freight. The report paraphrased them; no direct quotes are available.
Section B — significance
Bilger came to the ministry with a long-standing interest in freight. As logistics coordinator in 2018 he promised to support shifting transport to rail and waterways (see logistics). His early ministerial decisions fit that line: more single-wagon money, a coupling programme and the move to delivery of truck charging. Two of the three continue programmes started under his predecessors. The third, the coupling programme, is new but builds on earlier European research.
The budget numbers pull the other way, and they are what the rail associations focus on. Until a final 2027 budget is passed, it is open whether the track-access cuts survive the parliamentary process. The modal split itself changes slowly. Road's share of tonne-kilometres was about 71% in both 2023 and 2024, and nothing in the first weeks of a new minister's term can show a trend. The infrastructure behind rail freight is covered on rail infrastructure, and the road network on road infrastructure.