DB technology strategy
Technology, CTO
Board Division
Infrastructure, Services
and Technology
Contents
03 Foreword
04 Digitalization and globalization are relevant
trends for DB
06 The DB2020 Group strategy serves as the framework
for the technology strategy
08 Digitalization is the key to success
09 The DB technology strategy identifies three steps
for migrating the rail system
11 Six strategic directions define DB's
technology strategy
14 The strategy is being implemented through
initiatives, programs and projects
Foreword
Our company devised the DB2020 Group strategy
to achieve sustainable strategic development
that resolves potential conflicts among economic,
environmental and social priorities, and to serve as
a guide for the business units and Group functions
to use when developing their own strategies.
the strategic directions and areas for action that
are key to achieving the goals set out in DB2020.
Many of the goals set out in DB2020 mean that rail
technology of the future will have to meet certain
requirements. Consistently making advancements
in rail technology is the only way we will be able to
reach these goals. DB's technology strategy translates the aims into technical requirements that the
overall rail system has to meet in order to ensure
that the strategy can be implemented. The strategy
allows us to leverage potential from a number of
synergies: those that result from developments and
trials that span business units and those that result
from procurement, maintenance, redesign and disposal of assets.
I would like you to play a part in this. I hope you
find inspiration and joy in your own role as a visionary and designer of the rail technology of tomorrow.
It may take years for technology to be developed,
produced and approved, which means that assets
that will go into operation between now and 2020
have often already been specified or even ordered.
That's why DB's technology strategy takes an even
longer view. This brochure describes our vision
for rail technology and how it fits in with each of
Just like the business unit and Group function
strategies, DB's technology strategy will be repeatedly put to the test and systematically refined.
Sincerely,
Josef Stoll (CTO, Head of Technology)
Digitalization and globalization are relevant trends for DB
Mobility and logistics are undergoing a dramatic
transformation. And markets are undergoing lasting
changes, in particular as a result of digitalization and
globalization. These developments are opening up
new opportunities for the DB Group and the rail system, but have presented a new set of risks as well.
DB took a systematic inventory of the relevant
trends and used them as a basis for developing the
DB2020 strategy. The technical system is facing substantial challenges as a result of:
Increasing customer requirements for simpli­city, individuality, comfort and convenience,
and timeliness
Integrating rail systems in Europe and neighboring
regions
Including different modes in mobility and logistics
chains
Increasing digitalization, which presents a new dimension of challenges for the transport sector in
particular
4
The opportunities and risks associated with these
trends are closely related. New business models are
emerging as the flood of data increases. New competitors are entering the market, offering everything
from self-driving cars and platforms for mobility and
logistics services to replacement services like web
conferencing and 3D printing.
Trends that have a major impact on rail technology:
Digitalization
Globalization
Networked transport services
Smart simplicity
Transport innovation
More profitability.
More quality.
More innovation.
5
The DB2020 Group strategy
serves as the framework for the
technology strategy
In the current competitive environment, it is becoming increasingly important to understand what customers need and to meet those requirements as best
as possible. Digitalization is making the competition
for customers more dynamic, while globalization
means that competition is taking place on a larger
scale.
At the same time, the rail system is unique in that
assets are used for a very long time, and interactions
between the infrastructure and vehicles are complex.
Integrating innovative technology into the existing overall system must not put the system's ability
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to function at risk. Moreover, the aim should be to
make improvements across systems.
In terms of long-term investments, migration needs
to be planned according to the DB Group's strategic
focus and its technical production systems.
The DB2020 strategy – which is geared toward sustainability and accounting equally for the economic,
social and environmental dimensions – serves as the
framework for the technology strategy.
DB2020 Group strategy
What's it all about?
Pursuing our vision of becoming the world's leading mobility and logistics company
Reaching our goals of becoming a profitable market leader, top employer and eco-pioneer
through strategic directions
Consistently incorporating and implementing digitalization in all areas of the Group
Ensuring our company's sustainable success and social acceptance in harmony with the
dimensions
Vision
Sustainability
dimension
Strategic
direction
We are becoming the world's leading mobility and logistics company
Sustainable business success and social acceptance
Profitable market leader
Economic dimension
Top employer
Social dimension
Eco-pioneer
Environmental dimension
1 Customer and quality
3 Cultural change and
employee satisfaction
4 Resource preservation
and emissions and
noise reduction
2 Profitable growth
More profitability.
More quality.
More innovation.
7
Digitalization is the key
to success
Digitalization connects all of DB's production areas:
infrastructure, vehicles, planning, operations, maintenance and customers.
The technology strategy envisages digitalization as
an opportunity to be taken advantage of to increase
profitability and innovation and to improve quality in
all of DB's systems and processes.
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CCT: control and command technology
ICT: information and communications technology
OC: operations center
3S-center: local control center for monitoring and ensuring security, cleanliness and service at Deutsche Bahn AG facilities
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Systems
The DB technology strategy
identifies three steps for
migrating the rail system
Migrating the rail system to an integrated mobility,
energy and information system will make DB future
viable.
The next essential steps for further developing the
rail system in light of the current trends are:
Enabling end-to-end service and transport for
customers in the emerging single European railway area and neighboring networks:
Establishing interoperability is a key condition for
conducting transport services that are on time and
economically sound. Examples include inter-plant
transport between production locations within Europe as well as European high-speed passenger
transport. Connections to Turkey and the Eurasian
Land Bridge for rail freight from Asia to Europe are
other important examples.
Integrating rail into multimodal mobility and logistics systems that are globally integrated and
have the flexibility to respond to demand:
Autonomous vehicles on the rail and road make it
possible to better utilize infrastructure, increasing
its capacity. Digital platforms use big data analytics
to optimize traffic flow across different modes of
transport and create the flexibility to respond to
individual demand in mobility and logistics. When
incidents occur, customers are informed about alternatives and routes that meet their specific requirements and are rebooked and rerouted, in
some cases without ever feeling the effects of the
incident.
More profitability.
More quality.
More innovation.
9
Further developing system integration to create
a resource-efficient coverage area that is fully
networked, both in terms of information and
energy:
Utilizing renewable energy sources, including station rooftops, areas adjacent to tracks and noisecompensating systems for the mobility and logistics systems of the future and finding smart ways
of distributing, storing and controlling the consumption of energy improves resource efficiency.
Usage and user data, information from traffic management centers, and energy control centers are
concurring and are optimized across systems. The
rail system is based on comprehensive security of
energy supply and is becoming a pillar of grid stability.
Development steps
for the overall rail system
A single European railway area is being
created from national rail systems
End-to-end service and transport for customers
will be possible in the future
Boundaries between road and rail
systems are being eliminated
Autonomous vehicles are an integrated
land transport system
Train/car-on-demand services are becoming available
Mobility, energy and information are available
everywhere as needed
Networks and grids converge with smart controlling in
a systematically and fully networked coverage area
Resource optimization is a fundamental competitive
factor
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Six strategic directions define DB's
technology strategy
DB has identified strategic directions and areas
for action to enable the system to develop further.
And these strategic directions and areas for action
define DB's technology strategy.
In the future, the system must be:
Networked within and across modes. In other
words, as a provider of networked all-in-one services, it must serve different customers and provide overall sales systems that make the transition
between modes as easy as possible, and meet individual information and communication needs.
International. To work across borders, the rail system needs to be optimized and further developed
through international partnerships, and this includes harmonized infrastructure, interoperable
vehicles and broadly applicable processes (authorization, maintenance and operations).
Customer-focused, in other words, offering contemporary design and service. The rail system must
also be highly reliable, provide easy system access
(to stations, platforms, vehicles and ticket sales),
tailored information (customers are provided information about their travel chain or the location and
condition of their cargo at all times and in all
places), and offer services at a competitive price.
Efficient in its use of the infrastructure and in the
maintenance of facilities and vehicles. The rail system is controlled digitally. It is reliable and highly
available. Systematic expansion increases capacity
and improves punctuality, while condition is constantly ascertained and diagnosed to create transparency and enable more efficient maintenance.
Flexible in its responses to demand using modular
products and services. In other words, creating
compatible subsystems with smart components
and open interfaces in order to integrate them into
the system, using data analytics for better forecasts and greater system stability, and scheduling
refurbishment and modernization of track vehicles
upon ordering.
Social and ecologic in terms of material use, energy consumption and emissions (European noise
emission requirements for vehicles, 20% reduction
in CO2 by 2020), and optimizing ergonomics and
operating procedures for employees and customers
that account for demographic change.
Strategic directions of the technology strategy
Networked
International
Customerfocused
Efficient
Flexible
Social and
ecologic
Higher-level area for action: digitalization
End-to-end transport chains in the
rail system and
multimodal
Harmonized processes
(operations,
maintenance)
Individual
Greater transport
customer
service
capacity at bottlenecks
Harmonized
technology
(infrastructure,
vehicles)
Condition monitoring/forecasts
for technology
(infrastructure,
vehicles)
Modular systems (including
specified interfaces in the overall system)
Efficient use
of materials
Noise reduction
Energy efficiency and emission reduction
Jobs that account for demographic change
Areas for action in the technology strategy
More profitability.
More quality.
More innovation.
11
Implementing the technology strategy requires the
right framework. DB has defined four areas of emphasis:
A broadly applicable understanding of the system has to be established within the Group and
among the most important suppliers. This will enable consistent technical system design at railways
and make it possible to assess and balance out the
cost and benefits of measures throughout the entire system.
12
Increasing the ability to migrate in order to be
able to implement innovations despite long lifecycles and challenging interfaces in the system. This
calls for measures such as further standardizing
technical systems to make it possible to replace
modules and introduce platform solutions.
Creating a suitable legal framework is crucial in
order to obtain planning certainty. The legal framework includes legal conditions, functional technical
rules, consistent risk acceptance criteria and transparent security requirements. DB is actively working on improving regulation, to include:
Authorization of trains delivered over several
years based on the legal situation when orders
are placed, not on the legal situation at delivery
Europe-wide authorization of trains to be used
in multiple European countries instead of single
country-specific approvals
Strengthening DB's innovative capacity is
needed to be able to respond more quickly to
changes and initiate favorable changes.
More profitability.
More quality.
More innovation.
13
The strategy is being implemented
through initiatives,
programs and projects
Different initiatives have been launched
to tackle the challenges associated with
digitalization. The initiatives are the
forerunners for the future and are supported by Group-wide programs and
projects.
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ay
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Hig
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Mobility 4.0
Logistics 4.0
Infrastructure 4.0
Production 4.0
IT 4.0
Working Environments 4.0
ed
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The six key Group-wide initiatives are:
Incr
Automation supports smart traffic management so
that the rail system can offer maximum quality
and efficiency. Particular emphasis is being placed
on the following topics:
14
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For example, the Production 4.0
initiative is broken down into the fields of
maintenance and rail operations. The focus
is on condition-based and optimized maintenance, automated operating processes
and driverless vehicles.
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Asset intelligence
Condition and prediction-based maintenance
cuts costs and boosts reliability and availability
Smart control
Traffic flow optimization, greater network capacity utilization, fast response to incidents
Networking
Data from different sources is made available
and assets can be controlled remotely
Automation
Increasing use of assistance systems is leading to
greater automation, culminating in driverless vehicles and autonomous driving
Photography
Author/Photographer Uwe Miethe Page
Cover
Author/Photographer Page
DB Sales (left)
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Bartolomiej Banaszak (top) 4
Uwe Miethe (right)
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DB Sales (bottom) 4
Michael Rauhe (top)
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Max Power PHOTO (top row, left) 5
Uwe Miethe (bottom)
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Max Lautenschläger (top row, center) 5
Max Power PHOTO (top)
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US Department of Transportation (top row, right) 5
3D Systems | Pro X 200 DP (center row, left)
5
DB Infrastructure, Services and Technology
Board Division (bottom)
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Uwe Miethe (center)
5
Ralf Louis
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Holger Peters
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Max Braun | flickr (# 7471157378)
(center row, right)
5
Hartmut Reiche (1st photo clockwise)
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Wolfgang Klee (bottom row, left)
5
Max Lautenschläger (2nd photo clockwise)
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Max Power PHOTO (bottom row, center)
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Florian Fèvre | T-U-F (3rd photo clockwise)
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DB Arriva (bottom row, right)
5
Transport for London (4th photo clockwise)
14
ingenhoven architects
6
Max Lautenschläger (5th photo clockwise)
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Jo Kirchherr (top left)
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Uwe Miethe (6th photo clockwise)
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Claus Weber (center left)
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Martin Busbach (7th photo clockwise)
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Margit Wild (bottom left)
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Alexander Fischer (8th photo clockwise)
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ClipDealer (#70420) (center)
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Max Lautenschläger
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gettyimages (#108272075) (right)
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More profitability.
More quality.
More innovation.
15
Publishing details
Deutsche Bahn AG
Infrastructure, Services and
Technology Board Division
Technology (CTO)
Gallusanlage 8
60329 Frankfurt am Main
Germany
Subject to change without notice,
no liability for errors or omissions
Last modified in August 2015
www.deutschebahn.com