Rail operations in transition: The Operations Control Strategy for modern, decentralised and flexible control of rail operations

The Digitale Schiene Deutschland (DSD) is fundamentally redesigning the control of rail operations and setting the course for the future of digital control and safety technology (DLST: Digitale Leit- und Sicherungstechnik): With the so-called Operations Control Strategy (BSS: Betriebssteuerungsstrategie), 111 Control Center (BSO: Bedienstandorte) and 52 Technical Systems Center (TSO: Technikstandorte) are being established nationwide in order to be able to operate in a more modern, decentralised and flexible manner in the future.

The aim is to relocate Control Centres for planned interlocking projects or those already being implemented exclusively to the future BSO. By equipping the BSO with the integrated control and operating system (iLBS: integriertes Leit- und Bediensystem), the BSS will meet the requirements of DSD's future technologies. In future, control units such as signals or point machines will be controlled from the TSO. They therefore represent the link between the BSO and the track. We are already in the starting blocks with the BSS, as the first construction activities for the BSO are planned for this year.