Digitalization and innovation

• Digital automatic coupling (DAC): The introduction of DAC is crucial for the necessary digitalization and automation in freight transport and will affect a wide range of work areas in the long term. In addition to existing EU funding projects with a focus on trials and operating processes, technological development and migration preparation, work is, therefore, taking place on further projects. The funding project FP5-DACtiVate was launched in April 2025. Led by DB Group, the project focuses on the testing and validation of DAC components for future approval and roll-out. The first such tests have been taking place in Germany since mid-June 2025.
• Automated train driving: Another milestone was reached in the area of automated driving on lines with the technology for automatic train operation (ATO) and remote train automation (RTO). The first main line locomotive equipped with this technology was presented on July 4, 2025. The locomotive is being prepared for a one-year trial run on the Betuwe line in the Netherlands, with the aim of making the technology ready for procurement throughout Europe. In the long term, these advances promise the optimized use of existing line capacities and improved profitability. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV).
• More load per train with the distributed power system (DPS): Distributed traction in rail freight transport with one locomotive at the front of the train and another at the rear allows train loads to be increased by a third compared to double traction. This not only increases the traction power, but also doubles the energy recovery. With the support of RAILPOOL GmbH, DB Cargo has been developing a system for the remote control of the locomotive at the rear of the train since mid-2022. Following approval by the European Railway Agency (ERA) at the end of May 2025, this system has now been taken into regular operation. The DPS is now being introduced on part of the 185.2 series fleet. The market launch is funded by the Federal Government’s Future of Rail Freight Transport program.
• Increased efficiency in planning and control with IPS: The integrated planning and control (IPS) application is designed to simplify the planning and control of locomotives and employees and to map production resources as a whole. It replaces a large number of existing applications with a modern IT architecture. IPS uses European standards for the exchange of information in the rail sector. The new application should lead to reduced IT operating costs, the optimized use of resources, increased responsiveness to changes and improved service quality for customers. After four years of development work, the program should be fully implemented by the end of 2025.