Open access inter-city operator FlixTrain is reviving its prospect of expanding outside Germany in its quest to attract ‘millions of new passengers to rail’, as André Schwämmlein, CEO of parent company Flix Group, explains to Benjámin Zelki.
Two years have passed since Railway Gazette International interviewed FlixTrain ahead of the previous InnoTrans. How could you summarise the past two years for FlixTrain, open-access operators and for European rail in general?
We have significantly increased our offer in the past two years and will continue to do so in 2026 and 2027. Our biggest milestone was the purchase of 65 Talgo 230 push-pull trainsets and the lease of 65 Siemens Vectron locomotives in May 2025. This was the biggest investment in our company’s history. We will showcase the first car from our new fleet at this year’s InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin in September.
What is the five year development strategy for the FlixTrain business?
The incoming trains mean that we will double the size of our fleet in the next two years with more modern vehicles that will complement our existing offer. The goal is to increase frequency on our core routes significantly, and then, from 2028, we will start deploying the Talgo trains to new destinations. By that point, we will be able to offer FlixTrain services to people from München, our home city.
The condition of the German network is a much-discussed topic. What can you tell us about the scale of this issue for FlixTrain, how does it affect daily operations, and is there anything FlixTrain can offer in this regard that distinguishes it from Deutsche Bahn?
A lot of money is being invested in infrastructure in Germany right now, and I am very confident that the issues all operators are facing now will be much less present in the coming years. The application of digitalisation and available technology for the infrastructure should also be a priority, to enable a more efficient usage of the existing capacity.
What can you tell about the company’s growth plan? Which are the key markets you are looking at? Can you reveal any more new destinations arising from the arrival of the new fleet?
Our focus is on Germany now, but we have always seen FlixTrain as an international product as the market potential for rail in Europe is even bigger than for long-distance buses. Just like with FlixBus, we will establish a strong foundation for our business in our home market and approach international expansion from there.
What is FlixTrain’s view of Italo’s planned market entry? Do you expect any changes to FlixTrain ridership? How do you think it will shape the market, assuming the Italian operator launches successfully in Germany?
More competition will not change our ambitious plans. Italo’s product is very similar to Deutsche Bahn’s ICE services, while our approach is to distinguish ourselves from the competition with an innovative product and features like guaranteed seats free of charge and a more affordable pricing model.
We want to bring millions of new passengers into the market that have never used trains before. The goal must be to increase the market itself, and for this you need different products with different unique selling points.
Does the company have plans to bid for public service obligation contracts, driven by the implementation of the EU’s Fourth Railway Package?
Our core strengths are in the field of open access services, where we win with an innovative product. We are convinced that fixing market conditions to attract more long-distance open access services is a successful model that member states should pursue first prior to tendering PSOs. Currently FlixTrain sees no need to bid in PSO tenders.
What is your outlook for the German and European rail markets for the next five years? Do you expect the landscape of open access operators to grow further? Do you expect administrative burdens and track access charges to ease?
The market potential for European rail is immense, and we will leverage that with FlixTrain. Particularly, I see a lot of potential in the EU Rail Capacity regulation that aims to ease, harmonise and digitalise track access processes by 2031.
How can you compare coach and rail operations? What are the challenges and benefits of each?
Long-distance buses and trains are both essential for the future of mobility, as they are sustainable public modes of transport.
Buses are particularly appealing for people in rural areas and for trips ranging from 200 to 300 km, while trains provide a sustainable and fast way to connect conurbations over longer distances.
This article first appeared in the September 2026 issue of Railway Gazette International
See also
Italo orders Velaro high speed trains for German open access operations
Interview: FlixTrain eyes ‘enormous potential’ in Europe’s rail market
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Facts Only
* FlixTrain is an open-access inter-city rail operator.
* André Schwämmlein is the CEO of Flix Group.
* FlixTrain purchased 65 Talgo 230 push-pull trainsets and leased 65 Siemens Vectron locomotives in May 2025.
* The first car of the new fleet will be shown at the InnoTrans trade fair in Berlin in September.
* The company plans to double its fleet size over the next two years.
* Talgo trains are scheduled for deployment to new destinations starting in 2028, including services from München.
* Italo is planning to enter the German rail market.
* FlixTrain offers guaranteed seats free of charge.
* The EU Rail Capacity regulation aims to harmonize track access processes by 2031.
* FlixTrain does not currently intend to bid for public service obligation (PSO) contracts.
Executive Summary
FlixTrain is executing an aggressive expansion strategy centered on a significant fleet upgrade. By acquiring 65 Talgo 230 trainsets and leasing 65 Siemens Vectron locomotives, the operator aims to double its capacity and increase frequency on core German routes before expanding to new destinations, including München, by 2028. This growth occurs against a backdrop of strained German rail infrastructure, though leadership expresses confidence that ongoing investments and digitalization will mitigate these operational challenges.
The competitive landscape is shifting with the anticipated entry of Italo into the German market. FlixTrain intends to differentiate itself from both Italo and Deutsche Bahn by targeting a new demographic of passengers through a low-cost pricing model and free guaranteed seating. While the company acknowledges the potential of the European market and the benefits of the EU’s Fourth Railway Package, it remains focused on open-access services rather than bidding for government-funded public service obligation contracts.
Full Take
The strongest version of this narrative is that of a disruptive challenger using a proven "low-cost, high-efficiency" playbook—originally successful in the bus industry—to democratize rail travel and force modernization in a stagnant market. By targeting non-rail users rather than poaching existing passengers, the strategy seeks to expand the total addressable market.
However, the discourse relies heavily on a specific framing: the "innovator" vs. the "incumbent." The narrative positions the operator as a catalyst for digitalization and efficiency, while treating the systemic failure of German infrastructure as a temporary hurdle rather than a fundamental constraint. There is a notable tension between the ambition to "attract millions" and the admission that the company will avoid PSO contracts, meaning it will only operate where it is immediately profitable, potentially leaving rural or less lucrative gaps in the network.
The paradigm driving this is neoliberal market expansion: the belief that open-access competition alone is the primary driver of infrastructure improvement and passenger growth. The assumption is that the "Flix model" of asset-light or leased operations can scale linearly across diverse European regulatory environments.
Patterns detected: ARC-0043 Authority Game
The reliance on the CEO's optimistic projections as the sole evidence for future market viability—without independent data on projected demand or infrastructure capacity—functions as an authority game to signal stability to investors and partners.
Root cause: The transition of mobility from a public utility model to a platform-based commercial service.
Implications: While consumers may benefit from lower prices, the reliance on open-access profit centers may shift the burden of non-profitable "social" routes entirely onto the state, potentially deepening the urban-rural mobility divide.
Bridge Questions:
1. If the "low-cost" model succeeds, how does it affect the long-term maintenance and quality of the shared national infrastructure?
2. What happens to the "millions of new riders" if the infrastructure digitalization does not materialize by the 2031 target?
Counterstrike Scan: A coordinated campaign would use "democratization of travel" rhetoric to lobby for deregulation and reduced track access charges. The content here aligns with that playbook, though it presents as a standard corporate interview.
Sentinel — Human
The text reads like a genuine excerpt from a formal executive interview, balancing company strategy with industry commentary effectively.