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Discover the projects of Digitale Schiene Deutschland

In order to achieve the goal of a digital rail system, new digital technologies must be introduced and work together smoothly in the system. We implement technologies in practice in numerous pilot projects – in the railway sector and together with industrial companies as well as universities and research institutes. This allows us to gain experience through tests and quickly identify implementation risks.

 

Our projects are divided into infrastructure projects and pilot & development projects. Click through the map and go on a journey of discovery.

Advanced Digital Infrastructure (ADI)

Together with European partners, Digitale Schiene Deutschland is developing "Advanced Digital Infrastructure", a new, train-oriented train protection system. Trains can then run at individual intervals depending on their current speed and length (so-called "moving blocks").

Ansbach – Triesdorf

The picture shows the signalling installation on the Ansbach – Triesdorf line with the help of an excavator.

Ansbach – Triesdorf is one of the seven SLP projects. Here, the signalling, interlocking and level crossing technology is being modernised on the Bavarian line between Ansbach and Triesdorf as well as Leutershausen – Wiedersbach and Ansbach – Wicklesgreuth.

Automated Rail@DKS

The pilot project "Highly automated driving in the Stuttgart area" (ATO GoA2) is being realised in the Digital Node Stuttgart (DKS) for S-Bahn and regional transport. The use of new technologies enables highly automated driving in an open system. This will improve operational quality, achieve better energy efficiency and increase route and transport capacity in the future.

AutomatedTrain

The "AutomatedTrain" cooperation project enables more flexible use of trains through automated upgrading and driverless driving for fully automated stabling and parking journeys. Intelligent sensors enable the vehicles to recognize their surroundings and react independently to obstacles - comparable to autonomous driving on the road.

Berlin outer ring gap closure

The photo shows a closed track on the Berlin outer ring in front of the Hohen Neuendorf West relay interlocking, signalled by a blocking board

The Berlin outer ring is to be fully equipped with ETCS in order to close the gaps between the approaching lines. In conjunction with the surrounding projects, this will enable extensive interoperability of the control and safety technology. Three Trans-European Transport Network corridors run over the Berlin outer ring, which emphasises the great importance of the project for European rail freight transport.

Border crossing Belgium: Belgium – Aachen – Düren

The photo shows a railway station on the line between Düren and Aachen as far as the Belgian border on the Belgian side

The 46 km long track between Düren and Aachen as far as the Belgian border will be equipped with ETCS and digital interlocking.

Border crossing Czech Republic: Dresden – Schöna – Czech Republic

The picture shows the track area of Dresden's central station

ETCS is being implemented on the Saxon route from Dresden via Schöna to the Czech border. The existing ESTW will be replaced by modern DSTW.

Border crossing Czech Republic: Schirnding – Marktredwitz

The photo shows the position of the new modular building for the electronic interlocking in Schirnding, which marked the start of construction work

The existing control and safety technology is being modernised on 15 km of the line between Marktredwitz and the Czech border. In a first step, the existing relay interlocking in Schirnding will be replaced by a modern ESTW. In the second stage, 8 km of the Arzberg – border (CZ) section will be equipped with ETCS.

Border crossing Denmark: Padborg – Flensburg

Here you can see a train on the Padborg – Flensburg line.

The line in the area of the German-Danish border crossing will be equipped with ETCS Level 2 on the basis of the existing ESTW. The route section is highly relevant for the European freight transport network and the project will provide it with transnational and modern control and safety technology.

Border crossing Netherlands: Venlo – Viersen

The photo shows a mood image of the Digitale Schiene Deutschland with a track bed and a pink floating diamond

On the Dutch border between Venlo and Viersen in North Rhine-Westphalia, ETCS Level 2 is being introduced and the associated renewal of the existing technology.

Border crossing Poland: Poland - Frankfurt/Oder - Erkner

The picture shows signals in the four-track section of Berkenbrück station for trains leaving in the direction of Berlin.

The border connection line from Poland via Frankfurt/Oder to Erkner is to be equipped with ETCS in order to establish the cross-border interoperability of control and safety technology that is important for competitive rail freight traffic. As an elementary axis of the Trans-European North Sea – Baltic corridor, this will promote transit traffic between Western and Eastern Europe.

Capacity and Traffic Management System (CTMS)

An intelligent traffic management system is an important building block for the digitalization of network and train operations. In the event of disruptions to operations, a new AI-based "Capacity & Traffic Management System" (CTMS) will optimize train traffic in a matter of seconds.

CLUG

The CLUG project (Certifiable Localization Unit with GNSS) is investigating the extent to which the GNSS global satellite navigation system can contribute to train detection and be integrated into the current standard (ERTMS - ERTMS/ETCS - European Train Control System).

Cologne-Rhine/Main high-speed line

The photo shows a mood image that illustrates that ETCS and digital interlockings will create an efficient and interoperable rail infrastructure on Europe's core routes

The Cologne-Rhine/Main high-speed line is one of the three projects in the starter package. 20 years after the construction of the approximately 180 km long route, an upgrade is now due: the digitalisation of the LST. This involves the introduction of ETCS and the modernisation of the interlocking.

Computing Platforms

The digitalization of the rail sector requires computing platforms that are not only protected against cyber attacks and highly scalable, but must also be able to perform safety-critical calculations.

Consistent Digital Data Management in CCS Planning (D3iP)

Here you can see an atmospheric picture of Digitalen Schiene Deutschland with tracks and glowing hashtags.

The D3iP project acts as an acceleration measure for the rollout of DSTW and ETCS by standardising and digitalising the planning process and speeding it up as much as possible through future end-to-end digital data management.

Corridor Rhine-Alpine

The photo shows a section of the Rhine-Alpine corridor, a railway line along the Rhine

As an important north-south axis, the corridor Rhine-Alpine links important seaports and economic areas in Europe and is part of the Trans-European Transport Network. The Federal Republic of Germany is obliged to equip the approximately 1,338 km long German section of the corridor with ETCS by 2040.

Corridor Scandinavian-Mediterranean (ScanMed)

By equipping the Corridor ScanMed with ETCS, an interoperable rail network will be created in the heart of Europe, enabling trans-European transit. This pioneering project connects important cities and economic areas in Germany with Scandinavia and the Mediterranean and thus marks a milestone in the expansion of cross-border traffic safety using ETCS. The Corridor ScanMed is part of the starter package.

Data Factory

A data factory is used to systematically generate, process and make available large volumes of necessary data for the various use cases of the digitalized rail system. One prominent use case is the training of systems that work with artificial intelligence (AI).

Digital interlocking (DSTW) Koblenz-Trier

A panoramic view shows a red train pulling several cargo wagons behind it. In the foreground is a slope with vines. Behind the train is a small town. The Rhine can be seen behind the town, surrounded by several small mountains.

The Koblenz-Trier digital interlocking project is a pre-series project of the Digital Control and Safety Technology (DLST) for the modernization of the railroad infrastructure in Rhineland-Palatinate. It improves the control of rail traffic on an important route between Koblenz and Trier. 

Digital interlocking (DSTW) Meitingen-Mertingen

A side view of a white building is shown, with green plants and a white flag with a red DB logo in the foreground.

The Meitingen-Mertingen digital interlocking is an important Deutsche Bahn project for a high-speed line in regional and long-distance traffic with line speeds of up to 200 km/h. In the process, two relay interlockings in Meitingen-Mertingen were replaced by modern technology. 

Digital interlocking (DSTW) Warnemünde

The Warnemünde digital interlocking (DSTW) marks a significant advance in the rail infrastructure by enabling digital control in the long-distance and conurbation network in Germany for the first time. It replaces the existing relay interlocking and now also controls long-distance passenger traffic in the region.

Digital interlocking Mönchengladbach

The graphic shows a track bed with floating diamonds, with the diamonds symbolising the digitisation of the rail

In the city Mönchengladbach in North Rhine-Westphalia, the existing relay interlocking technology is being replaced by a digital interlocking and ETCS Level 2 is being introduced.

Digital S-Bahn Hamburg

The Digital S-Bahn Hamburg is the first project to be implemented as part of the "Digitale Schiene Deutschland" sector initiative. For the first time, highly automated driving (ATO GoA2) was implemented on the basis of the European Train Control System ETCS ("ATO over ETCS").

Digital twin for incident simulation

In the future, fully automated driving will require the sensors at the front of the train to detect objects in the track environment. An Artificial Intelligence (AI) then evaluates these in terms of their criticality. It decides whether they are regular or irregular objects that could pose a danger.

Digitales Register

Standardized data bases and a central data source for digital infrastructure data are essential for the new systems of digital rail operations. Infrastructure data is uniformly stored, updated and processed in the so-called Digital Register.

Digitales Testfeld Bahn

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Dresden node

The photo shows Dresden central station with an arriving train

Closing the gap in the Dresden node: ETCS and DSTW will be introduced on two routes to ensure seamless accessibility with these technologies.

Erkner – Seddin

The picture shows the platforms of Schönefeld station on a rainy day.

The line between Erkner and Seddin is to be equipped with ETCS in order to establish interoperability of the control and safety technology between the EU countries. The ETCS equipment of the neighboring project “Border crossing Poland: Poland – Frankfurt/Oder – Erkner” will be extended to the Seddin marshalling yard. The line is part of the Trans-European Transport Network.

Finnentrop

The picture shows Andre Rodenbeck (CEO Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility), Uwe Kober (Mayor of Altena) and Jens Bergmann (Board Member for Finance and Controlling at DB InfraGO AG) in front of the new interlocking module in Altena.

Finnentrop is one of the seven projects in the SLP and was successfully commissioned after around one and a half years. This is the first complete commissioning in the SLP. The signalling, interlocking and level crossing technology was modernised on the Ruhr-Sieg line.

Flensburg – Maschen

Here you can see an atmospheric image of Digitalen Schiene Deutschland, showing a bird's eye view of the Maschen marshalling yard.

The core of the project is to equip the Flensburg – Maschen section with ETCS Level 2. 216 kilometers of track will be equipped with modern control and safety technology. The aim is to make the line passable with ETCS from Denmark to Europe's largest marshalling yard in Maschen. 

FRMCS/5G Test Network

The existing 2G-based train radio GSM-R (GSM - Railway) no longer meets the high requirements of digital applications in terms of bandwidths and latency times. 5G will form the basis for an efficient and flexible " Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS)".

Gera – Weischlitz

The picture shows the Vogtlandbahn train at Barthmühle station on the line between Gera and Weischlitz.

Gera – Weischlitz is one of the seven SLP projects. Here, the signalling, interlocking and level crossing technology on the line between Gera and Weischlitz is being modernised.

High-performance corridor Hagen – Unna – Hamm

The photo is a symbolic image for the high-performance corridor between Hagen, Unna and Hamm

The high-performance network corridor from Hagen via Unna to Hamm plays a key role in connecting NRW to northern Germany. As part of this project, a DSTW is now being built on the Hagen network and ETCS equipment is being installed along the entire route.

High-performance corridor Hagen – Wuppertal – Cologne

This photo shows Cologne Central Station and symbolises the Hagen – Wuppertal – Cologne high-performance network corridor

On the high-performance corridor from Hagen via Wuppertal to Cologne, a total of 68 kilometers of track between Solingen and Wuppertal-Vohwinkel will be equipped with ETCS.

Hürth/Kalscheuren – Koblenz (HLN-Corridor)

The photo shows the German Corner Monument in Koblenz from above and is a symbolic image for Hürth/Kalscheuren – Koblenz (HLN-Corridor)

The high-performance network corridor from Cologne via Bonn to Koblenz plays a key role in connecting NRW to southern Germany. As part of this project, three ESTW and ETCS equipment will be realised in Bonn-Bad-Godesberg and in NB Bonn. The planned BSO in Bonn will be connected to the three ESTW (ESTW Brühl, Sechtem-Roisdorf and Bonn Central Station) and the two ETCS systems.

Ingolstadt node

The photo shows an aerial view of Ingolstadt, as the line between Ingolstadt North and Ingolstadt Central Station is to be digitised in the node

At the Ingolstadt node in Upper Bavaria, the railway line is being equipped with the Europe-wide standardised train control system ETCS Level 2 in order to enable the future passability of the Nuremberg – Ingolstadt – Munich line with this digital train control system. In addition, a modern digital interlocking will replace the existing relay interlockings and ESTW.

KI-MeZIS

The project is developing and testing AI methods in the condition monitoring and needs-based maintenance of rail vehicle structures. In order to enable fully automated, driverless driving in the main line railroad system, innovative technological components must be incorporated into the future rail system.

Kleve – Kempen

The picture shows four new signals on the route of the Kleve – Kempen SLP project.

Kleve – Kempen is one of the seven SLP projects. The signalling, interlocking and level crossing technology was modernised in less than two years on the line on the left bank of the Lower Rhine between Kleve and Kempen. The project was put into operation in 2022.

Leipzig – Riesa gap closure

The photo shows the entrance to Leipzig Central Station and the beginning of the station concourse

In the Leipzig – Riesa section, ETCS is being introduced and the associated replacement of ESTW with DSTW. This enables seamless traffic with these technologies.

Leipzig/Halle – Berlin (VDE 8.3)

This photo shows the interior of the Leipzig Central Station passenger building and tracks

The 185 km long upgraded track Leipzig/Halle – Berlin (VDE 8.3) will be equipped with ETCS. This involves the technical adaptation of the interlocking on the route.

Lichtenfels – Coburg – Sonneberg

The picture shows a train arriving at Sonneberg main station (Thuringia).

Lichtenfels – Coburg – Sonneberg is one of the seven SLP projects. Here, the signalling, interlocking and level crossing technology on the line between Lichtenfels, Coburg and Sonneberg, which runs through Bavaria and Thuringia, is being modernised.

Moving Block Demonstrator

"Moving Block Demonstrator" is a demonstrator project within the framework of the ERJU Innovation Pillar (R2DATO) for a train-oriented safety logic (based on the ADI concepts), which, among other things, enables driving in a "moving block". This allows a denser train sequence, which can increase the line capacity. 

Nuremberg – Passau – Border

On the eastern axis of Bavaria, from Nuremberg via Passau to the Austrian border, around 220 km of the control and safety technology is being digitised. This includes equipping the line with ETCS.

Rommerskirchen – Cologne-Ehrenfeld

The photo shows a train at Cologne Central Station, which symbolises the Rommerskirchen – Cologne-Ehrenfeld project

ETCS is being introduced on the North Rhine-Westphalian line between Rommerskirchen and Cologne-Ehrenfeld. To this end, the existing ESTW (ESTW-A) in Cologne-Ehrenfeld, which is to be decommissioned, must be replaced by a modern digital interlocking (DSTW).

Rostock seaport – Kavelstorf gap closure

The cover picture shows the view of Rostock's historic city centre in the foreground of the Warnow river

In order to enable consistent interoperability of control and safety technology in rail freight transport, the Rostock seaport – Kavelstorf section is being equipped with ETCS. This is an ETCS gap closure between the Rostock – Berlin line and the Rostock seaport.

Sensors4Rail

In the Sensors4Rail project, an integrated system consisting of sensor-based environment perception, localization and a digital map was tested for the first time. This makes it possible to detect obstacles - an important prerequisite for fully automated, driverless driving in the future.

Stuttgart digital node

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Wörth – Germersheim – Speyer

Wörth – Germersheim – Speyer is one of the seven SLP projects and was successfully put into operation in 2022. The signalling, interlocking and level crossing technology on the Rhineland-Palatinate line between Wörth, Germersheim and Speyer was modernised here.

Zwieseler Spinne

The picture shows the installation of technical modules in adverse weather conditions using an emergency crane.

The Zwiesel Spinne is one of the seven SLP projects. It involves the modernisation of signalling, interlocking and level crossing technology on the lines around Zwiesel in the Bavarian Forest.

​​Operations Control Strategy​ 

Here you can see an atmospheric image of Digitalen Schiene Deutschland with tracks and a bridge leading over the tracks.

​​The Digitale Schiene Deutschland is fundamentally redesigning the management 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, 94 operational centers and 52 technical systems centers are being set up throughout Germany in order to be able to operate in a more modern, decentralised and flexible manner in the future.​ 

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