DB Cargo in action: logistics for the Riedbahn redevelopment

In the middle of one of Germany's largest infrastructure projects, DB Cargo is showing what logistics really means. The general refurbishment of the Riedbahn - one of the most important north-south connections - is a mammoth project that will shape the future of rail infrastructure. Not only will 117 kilometers of track be renewed, but 152 points will also be replaced, 140 kilometers of contact wire replaced and more than 15 kilometers of noise barriers erected. In addition, 230,000 sleepers and 100,000 tons of ballast will be installed and 20 stations modernized. A task that requires precision and coordination at the highest level - and this is exactly where DB Cargo comes in.

Ballast and sleepers: Logistics in step

The challenge begins with the material supply. Around a third of the ballast transported by rail is supplied by DB Cargo from the material distribution center (MVZ) in Karlsruhe. DB Cargo brings the important raw material to the construction site in over 80 trains. But the job doesn't end with the delivery: we also dispose of the old ballast using specially provided tipping cars. DB InfraGO also relies on special wagons from DB Cargo to transport the sleepers - around 60 of them are in use on the Riedbahn.

Material logistics for the general refurbishment. 

Switch parts on the move

Around 150 new turnouts are needed to keep traffic on the Riedbahn safe and efficient in the future. This is where the true strength of logistics comes into play: DB Cargo FLS is responsible for transporting the switch parts, which are manufactured in the switch factory in Witten. These high-precision components, such as sets of switches and so-called frogs, are transported by special trucks to the assembly sites in Biblis, Riedstadt Goddelau and Gernsheim. But that's not all: the detour routes used during the construction work must also function perfectly. This is why DB Cargo FLS also delivers switch parts to strategically important locations such as Darmstadt, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim and Heidelberg.

A logistical masterpiece at all levels

Each of these turnout components is a logistical masterpiece: weighing between 1.5 and 2.3 tons and measuring up to 17.5 meters in length, they are delivered to the installation sites with pinpoint accuracy. From there, the work continues seamlessly - the switches are then installed on the rails in the corresponding construction phases. The renovation of the Riedbahn is not only a gigantic construction project, but also a blueprint for the future renovation of the entire rail network in Germany. DB Cargo is playing a central role in this project, demonstrating once again that efficient logistics are the key to successful infrastructure projects.