Deutsche Bahn allegedly hindered mobility start-ups

The German Cartel Office has issued a warning to the DB Group for allegedly hindering other mobility platforms. According to the authority, this would harm competition.

The Federal Cartel Office has issued a warning to Deutsche Bahn, as the authority announced in a press release. The office has come to the conclusion that "certain behaviors and contractual clauses of Deutsche Bahn towards mobility platforms constitute an abuse of market power".

Customers can use mobility platforms to plan their routes and combine the purchase of tickets for trains and long-distance buses, for example. However, Deutsche Bahn does not provide these platforms with any forecast data on delays or cancellations of its trains. "Many of these mobility services would be inconceivable without the involvement of DB. We therefore believe that mobility providers have a right to Deutsche Bahn's traffic data, such as delays or train cancellations. Otherwise the business models cannot work," says Andreas Mundt, President of the Federal Cartel Office.

Advertising bans and discount bans for third-party providers are also being addressed in the proceedings. The Cartel Office is also investigating possible discrimination against some of the mobility platforms with regard to the level of commission for ticket sales.