Technology

Measures

• Connectivity: The focus on high-performance connectivity for passengers and operations continued in the first half of 2026. For example, the “5G on the track” concept was included in the Federal Government’s “Agenda for Satisfied Rail Customers” and is currently being defined in greater detail together with the Federal Government. The Federal Government-funded joint project “Gigabit Innovation Track” (GINT) between the mobile communications and rail sectors was extended once again in spring 2026 (GINT 3.0) and focuses on various technical architecture options as well as potential solutions for the coexistence of rail radio and public mobile communications. This is particularly necessary ahead of the planned introduction of the new 5G rail radio standard, Future Railway Mobile Communication Standard (FRMCS), which is set to be rolled out across Europe by 2035 in light of the obsolescence of the current GSM-R railway radio system. In October 2024, DB Group, the mobile network operators 1&1, Deutsche Telekom, O2 Telefónica and Vodafone and the Federal Government signed a letter of intent regarding the technology-neutral testing, development and adoption of a service concept “5G on the track.” At the same time, DB Group is working with other rail operators at EU level on technical and regulatory issues relating to the introduction of FRMCS. Private 5G industrial networks have reached production-ready status within DB Group. The implementation of these solutions at the new Cottbus depot and on the Munich S-Bahn (metro) has enabled digital maintenance and automation processes and laid the foundations for further innovative applications.
• Automation of switching and deployment (Automatisierung Rangieren und Bereitstellen; ARB): The Group-wide rollout of Remote Train Operation (RTO) and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) as part of the ARB program was completed in the first half of 2026. The program will now be discontinued effective August 1, 2026. In the future, these activities will continue to be managed on a decentralized basis by the business units. With the RTO demonstration in Munich-Steinhausen (423 series, Munich S-Bahn (metro)), the start of ATO-GoA-2 operational testing with the 193 series on the Betuweroute and the launch of the RemODtrAIn funding project (412 series, Cologne-Nippes and Desiro, Erzgebirgsbahn), important milestones were reached in regional and long-distance rail passenger transport and rail freight transport. DB Regional, DB Long-Distance and DB Cargo are also working on a standard control station for remote control that is independent of specific train models, thereby the development of all the components necessary for RTO operations is initiated. Plans for further implementation include the continued development of the 423 series into a prototype and the development of specifications as part of the RemODtrAIn project, among other things.
• Connected Train: With the Connected Train initiative, DB Group is advancing the standardization and use of vehicle data in the rail sector. The goal is to gradually transform fragmented and incomprehensible data structures into interoperable, usable and governable data foundations. In the first half of 2026, the process of establishing sector-wide collaboration was formally launched and further developed in collaboration with manufacturers, operators and other partners. One major milestone was the publication of a white paper developed in collaboration with Siemens Mobility and Knorr-Bremse, which outlines an initial coordinated proposal for standardized vehicle data. Connected Train is designed as a sector-wide initiative and is being further developed in a European context and in conjunction with existing initiatives and standardization bodies. At the same time, the initial foundations for governance structures and data models have been laid. This creates the prerequisites for the consistent and effective use of vehicle data as well as for data-driven applications, particularly in operations and maintenance.
• AI in scheduling: By focusing on core processes, the AI scheduling tool KI-Dispo supports dispatchers with intelligent recommendations in their day-to-day work. KI-Dispo processes the current operational situation in a matter of seconds and uses this information to generate targeted recommendations for dispatchers at control centers. KI-Dispo is already in pilot operation on the Stuttgart, Rhine-Main and Munich S-Bahn (metro) systems, and the pilot program has been underway on the Berlin S-Bahn (metro) system since 2025. As part of the pilot program, the system is being continuously refined to incorporate additional factors that influence scheduling. In the first half of 2026, for example, two new interfaces were created in close cooperation with DB InfraGO and DB Regional that make it possible to immediately implement the proposed measures for passenger information.