Track access charge

What this is

What the operator pays each country's infrastructure manager for the right to run over its track. For a cross-border night train this is usually the largest infrastructure cost and the most variable.

What the operator pays each country's infrastructure company for using the track.

The formula

$$C_{TAC} = \sum_{seg}\Big[\sum_{c \in seg} \big( d_{c}\,(1{-}\nu_c)\,b_{day,c}\,\mu_c + d_{c}\,\nu_c\,b_{night,c} + d_{c}\,(\gamma_c m_{gross} + \sigma_c P + \phi_c + \kappa_c \pi_c) \big) + \sum_{stop} h_{country(stop)} + \rho_{c}\,R_{seg,c} + \sum_{x \in seg}\big(F_x + f_x n_{seg}\big)\Big]$$

	Symbol	Meaning	Unit	Where it comes from
Input	d_c	Distance driven in this country on this segment	km	computed upstream
Input	nu_c	Share of the run in this country priced at the night rate	–	tac_night_share
Input	b_day,c	The country's day rate per train-kilometre	€/train-km	track_tac_b_day
Input	b_night,c	The country's night rate per train-kilometre	€/train-km	track_tac_b_night
Input	gamma_c	The country's rate per tonne of train weight and kilometre	€/(t·km)	track_tac_gamma
Input	m_gross	Weight of the whole train — coaches plus locomotives	t	loco_type_weight_t
Input	sigma_c	The country's rate per place and kilometre	€/(place·km)	track_tac_seat_km
Input	P	Places the train offers	places	computed upstream
Input	phi_c	The country's flat administrative add-on per train-kilometre	€/train-km	track_tac_fixed_per_train_km
Input	kappa_c	The country's congestion surcharge per train-kilometre	€/train-km	track_tac_congestion_surcharge_eur_km
Input	pi_c	Share of the run in this country falling in rush hour	–	tac_peak_share
Input	mu_c	Factor the day rate is multiplied by over the rush-hour share of the run (1 outside it)	factor	track_tac_peak_multiplier
Input	h_country(stop)	Fee for making one stop, at that stop's own country rate. A trip's first segment pays for both of its ends, since no other segment owns the starting station	€/stop	track_tac_per_stop
Input	rho_c	Share of the ticket revenue earned in this country that the infrastructure manager takes	fraction	track_tac_revenue_share
Input	R_seg,c	Ticket revenue attributable to this segment in this country, per train run	€/trip	computed upstream
Input	F_x	Charge for crossing a separately billed link, per train	€/traverse	passage_fixed_eur
Input	f_x	Charge for crossing a separately billed link, per passenger	€/passenger	passage_per_passenger_eur
Input	n_seg	Passengers aboard on this segment, per train run	passengers	computed upstream
Result	C_TAC	Annual track access charges	€/year	—

Feeds into: infrastructure_total_eur

Found a mistake?

This documentation describes a model that is still being built, and some of it will be wrong. If a number looks off, a source is missing, or an explanation does not hold up, tell us — it reaches the working group with the page you were reading.