Volume contract worth EUR 6.3 billion concluded between DB and the rail industry
– a milestone for faster realisation of digital control and safety technology
For the first time, DB has concluded a volume contract with the rail industry with a purchase obligation as part of Digitale Schiene Deutschland (DSD). With the volume contract, we undertake to call up a fixed quantity of services and products for digital control and safety technology (DLST). In return, the rail industry undertakes to supply precisely these services and products for the digitalisation of control and safety technology. The new contract model thus provides a reliable planning basis for the railway industry and DSD.
By digitising the rail network, we are making rail traffic more reliable, robust, and efficient. To this end, the control and safety technology must be digitalised over the next few years. It is one of the most quality-critical trades with the highest rate of obsolescence. As a result, we will modernise many times more signals, point machines and signal boxes in a shorter period of time than we do today. This requires resources and platform solutions from the railway industry. This is precisely where the new volume contract comes in: With a total volume of 6.3 billion euros and its long-term orientation, it ensures that the DLST can be procured and installed on a large scale. The DLST and thus the scope of the volume contract include:
- digital interlockings (DSTW),
- the European Train Control System (ETCS) and
- the integrated control and operating system (iLBS).
The industrial companies with which we have concluded the volume contract include: MerMec Deutschland GmbH, Hitachi Rail GTS Deutschland GmbH, Alstom as well as Siemens Mobility in a bidding consortium with Leonhard Weiss. Together with DSD, they will secure more capacity for new DLST.
Basis of the volume contract
The volume contract represents a decisive step towards the modernisation and digitalisation of the rail network. On the one hand, we are contractually obliged to call up a fixed quantity of services and products from DLST by the end of 2028. Specifically, these are 15,500 control units, such as signals and point machines, and standardised platform solutions, such as the standard interface between a signal box and a level crossing. The platform solutions are therefore manufacturer-independent and can be used for all projects. They ensure optimised and rapid project implementation and reduce the variety of DLST. This in turn simplifies future maintenance work.
On the other hand, the four industrial companies, as our contractual partners, undertake to build up the necessary resources and carry out development work. They will also take over the planning and realisation process as part of a general contractor model. This gives the railway industry a secure perspective and simplifies the processes from commissioning and planning to the commissioning of new control and safety technology. Thanks to these simplified processes and the reduced administrative effort, more DLST can be installed in projects in less time. This ultimately benefits everyone who uses the railway.
Strategic goals of the volume contract at a glance:
- Acceleration of modernisation and digitalisation: Faster and more efficient renewal of DLST thanks to shortened award and implementation processes
- Planning security: Reliable planning of resources for construction, testing and acceptance
- Promotion of market-based competition: Support for a dynamic market for DLST
- Creation of standardised technology based on DSTW, ETCS and iLBS (Basis Release Plus)
The conclusion of the volume contract is a success for the Digitale Schiene Deutschland and the railway industry. It forms the foundation for the successful modernisation and digitalisation of the rail infrastructure and strengthens the competitiveness of the rail sector. The first orders and deliveries under the volume contract are already planned for spring 2025. The construction period will extend into the 2030s. We are already looking forward to reporting on the first projects.
Click here for the official press release (German only).
