Strategy

Strong Rail means fast, safe and reliable deliveries. A decisive competitive factor for Germany's future economic success and an important building block in the decarbonisation of transport.

Germany can only achieve its ambitious climate targets with a massive shift of traffic from road to rail. Reducing CO₂ emissions by 10.5 million tonnes annually will help keep our world liveable for future generations.

Transporting more freight by rail means a better quality of life for us all. That is because every lorry taken off the roads leads to fewer traffic jams, fewer roadworks and less particulate matter in the air.

Rail is Europe's central link between north, south, east and west. We connect the continent: with more employees, more destinations, more trains and more services. For stronger growth and a healthier climate.

Deutsche Bahn is modernizing like never before, becoming more efficient, more digital and more capable so that the rail network can handle at least 30% more traffic. This covers national routes, hubs and container terminals, as well as the main European corridors. Key to this are new technologies that enable faster and more frequent services. They are used everywhere from freight terminals, railports and formation yards to the rail lines themselves. Digital signal boxes and the international digital European Train Control System (ETCS) are just two examples of this.

We have already fitted our entire fleet of around 63,000 wagons with telematics and smart sensors to improve control and connectivity. We are also using more digital tools in maintenance, such as 3D printing, intelligent diagnostics systems and robotics. Further measures include the purchase of 300 new, environmentally friendly locomotives. One in three of these will be multi-system locomotives suitable for international transport operations.

Our plans for expanding rail transport require qualified specialists. From maintenance staff to train drivers, people are essential to ensuring smooth rail freight transport for the economies of Germany and Europe. Against the backdrop of an aging society, this is a major challenge. In the years to come, Deutsche Bahn will hire 100,000 employees across all of its business units.

Effective collaboration between all stakeholders is vital to making the complex rail system a success. Politicians from across the spectrum agree that rail is key to achieving greater sustainability. In 2021, the German government introduced a CO₂ tax for the transport sector. It has also promised additional funds for the comprehensive modernisation of the rail network and stations.