diff --git a/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/options/CsvOptions.java b/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/options/CsvOptions.java
index 1b2d6575450..74c25f3a96b 100644
--- a/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/options/CsvOptions.java
+++ b/contribs/application/src/main/java/org/matsim/application/options/CsvOptions.java
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ public final class CsvOptions {
 	@CommandLine.Option(names = "--csv-format", description = "CSV Format", defaultValue = "Default")
 	private CSVFormat.Predefined csvFormat;
 
-	@CommandLine.Option(names = "--csv-delimiter", description = "CSV Delimiter", required = false)
+	@CommandLine.Option(names = "--csv-delimiter", description = "CSV Delimiter")
 	private Character csvDelimiter;
 
 	@CommandLine.Option(names = "--csv-charset", description = "CSV input encoding", defaultValue = "UTF8")
@@ -56,24 +56,48 @@ public CsvOptions(CSVFormat.Predefined csvFormat, Character csvDelimiter, Charse
 	 */
 	public static Character detectDelimiter(String path) throws IOException {
         try (BufferedReader reader = IOUtils.getBufferedReader(path)) {
-			String firstLine = reader.readLine();
+			int[] comma = new int[5];
+			int[] semicolon = new int[5];
+			int[] tab = new int[5];
+			String[] lines = new String[5];
+
+//			check five first lines for separator chars. It might be that the csv file has additional info in the first x lines (e.g. EPSG)
+			for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+				lines[i] = reader.readLine();
+				if (lines[i] == null) {
+					comma[i] = 0;
+					semicolon[i] = 0;
+					tab[i] = 0;
+				} else {
+					comma[i] = StringUtils.countMatches(lines[i], ",");
+					semicolon[i] = StringUtils.countMatches(lines[i], ";");
+					tab[i] = StringUtils.countMatches(lines[i], "\t");
+				}
+			}
 
-			int comma = StringUtils.countMatches(firstLine, ",");
-			int semicolon = StringUtils.countMatches(firstLine, ";");
-			int tab = StringUtils.countMatches(firstLine, "\t");
+			Integer index = null;
 
-			if (comma == 0 && semicolon == 0 && tab == 0) {
-				throw new IllegalArgumentException("No delimiter found in the first line of the file.");
+			for (int i = 0; i < comma.length - 1; i++) {
+//				only check next index if line with separators was not found
+				if (index == null) {
+					if (!(comma[i] == 0 && semicolon[i] == 0 && tab[i] == 0)) {
+						index = i;
+					}
+				}
 			}
 
-			// Comma is preferred as the more likely format
-			if (comma >= semicolon && comma >= tab) {
-				return ',';
-			} else if (tab >= semicolon)
-				return '\t';
-			else
-				return ';';
-        }
+			if (index == null) {
+				throw new IllegalArgumentException("No delimiter found in the first line of the file.");
+			} else {
+				// Comma is preferred as the more likely format
+				if (comma[index] >= semicolon[index] && comma[index] >= tab[index]) {
+					return ',';
+				} else if (tab[index] >= semicolon[index])
+					return '\t';
+				else
+					return ';';
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	/**
diff --git a/contribs/application/src/test/java/org/matsim/application/options/CsvOptionsTest.java b/contribs/application/src/test/java/org/matsim/application/options/CsvOptionsTest.java
index a406deca398..70452d23138 100644
--- a/contribs/application/src/test/java/org/matsim/application/options/CsvOptionsTest.java
+++ b/contribs/application/src/test/java/org/matsim/application/options/CsvOptionsTest.java
@@ -37,10 +37,12 @@ void output() throws IOException {
 
 			printer.printRecord("header", "column");
 			printer.printRecord("1", "2");
+			printer.printRecord("3", "4");
+			printer.printRecord("5", "6");
 			printer.close();
 
 			assertThat(tmp)
-				.hasContent("header" + delimiter + "column\n1" + delimiter + "2");
+				.hasContent("header" + delimiter + "column\n1" + delimiter + "2" + "\n3" + delimiter + "4" + "\n5" + delimiter + "6");
 
 			assertThat(delimiter).isEqualTo(CsvOptions.detectDelimiter(tmp.toString()).toString());
 		}