The German railway system is primarily owned and operated by Deutsche Bahn AG (DB), which is a private joint-stock company but is 100% owned by the Federal Republic of Germany. Although it is structured like a private corporation with a Management Board and a Supervisory Board, the German government is the sole shareholder. This "hybrid" model was created during the railway reforms of 1994 to improve efficiency while keeping the national infrastructure under public control. In early 2026, the structure has evolved into DB Group, with specific divisions like DB Long-Distance (managing the ICE trains), DB Regional, and DB InfraGO (which manages the actual tracks and stations). While the government owns the "backbone" of the system, the German rail market is "open-access," meaning private companies like FlixTrain or regional providers like Transdev are allowed to pay fees to use the state-owned tracks, creating a competitive environment for passengers while the state maintains ultimate ownership of the network.
German railways are primarily owned and operated by Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG), a German state-owned railway company. Deutsche Bahn was founded in 1994 after the merger of the former East German Deutsche Reichsbahn and West German Deutsche Bundesbahn. The German federal government owns 100% of Deutsche Bahn AG, making it the sole shareholder.
Deutsche Bahn is responsible for passenger and freight rail services across Germany, as well as managing much of the railway infrastructure. While DB AG operates as a commercial entity, it is subject to government oversight and regulation.