Digitalization and innovation

• Digital sales channels: In the first half of 2026, DB Navigator and bahn.de were further developed as central digital sales and service channels as well as for in-trip assistance, and new features were added. Since June 2026, the BahnCard 100 has been provided in digital form. It can be accessed in the “Journeys” section of the DB Navigator app. At the same time, DB Navigator is being expanded into the central platform for planning, booking and using door-to-door mobility. Car-sharing vehicles from various providers can already be found in the “Nearby” section of the app. In the first half of 2026, the use of AI was also tested on bahn.de to help customers plan their trips and provide up-to-date information on specific connections and schedule changes.
• Reservations for long-distance and third-party trains (Reservierung im Fernverkehr und in Fremdverkehren; RiFF): The RiFF project was completed in June 2026. Since April 2026, RiFF flexibly manages the largest seating capacity in the European mobility sector, providing customers with a constantly updated overview of all seats on every train run throughout the entire schedule period. RiFF replaces the previous EPA (Elektronischer Platzanzeiger; electronic seat indicator) system. Among other things, it enables seat recommendations tailored to specific groups, such as families in the areas for young children and families, as well as fully automated seat reservations for passengers with limited mobility and their companions. Looking ahead, the use of RiFF is expected to lead to lower operating costs and higher reservation revenues.
• Driver assistance system: The driver assistance system project, which forms part of the Digital Schedule, has been in operational testing since April 2026 and is currently being gradually rolled out to additional lines and series. The system determines optimal driving strategies based on the driving dynamics of the respective vehicle, the topography, the schedule data and the available travel time reserves. Based on this information, individual driving recommendations are generated for each series and line and displayed to the traction unit drivers in the Digital Schedule. In this way, the driver assistance system makes a significant contribution to more energy-efficient, more punctual and more robust rail operations.
• Passenger-centered control: With the passenger-centric control project, DB Long-Distance is modernizing the IT in traffic control and systematically aligning its operational decisions with the travel chain. To this end, the existing system landscape is being gradually replaced by an integrated, modular product family. Through early conflict detection and data- and AI-driven decision support, passenger-centric control helps to ensure more stable rail operations and provides better information for dispatchers, and hence for passengers. Since its introduction in 2025, the system has reached the level of maturity required to replace the legacy system by the end of 2026.