DB Cargo doubled its coal transport volumes over the winter months to support the reactivation of coal-fired power stations which were brought out of reserve to ensure stable electricity supplies after gas deliveries from Russia were halted because of the war in Ukraine. It is reported by the Railway Supply magazine with reference to the Railway Gazette.
The European Commission has validated a €1.1 billion bailout the German government intends to provide to electric rail operators to reduce their costs from rising electricity prices. It is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to zdmira.
The increase in the transportation of energy resources by rail is a consequence of the war in Ukraine. Instead of gas, the focus is again on coal or oil. In order to deliver these cargoes to their destinations in a timely manner on a heavily used rail network and secure energy supplies, they are temporarily given priority. Railway Supply magazine writes about this with reference to Kurier Kolejowy.
A preliminary program plan of 40 short, medium and long term infrastructure projects to improve the productivity and capacity of the railway network was prepared by Deutsche Bahn as a basis for discussion with the government. Railway Supply writes about this with reference to the Railway Gazette.
With 17 million liters of biofuel, HVO Deutsche Bahn is using twice as much biofuel in its diesel locomotives at the beginning of 2023 than originally estimated. Thus, their goal of using HVO fuel by 2025 has already been achieved. The company cites the successful conversion of diesel filling stations to HVO as the main reason for its progress. Railway Supply magazine writes about this with reference to RailTech.
DB is rapidly converting its diesel fleet to biofuels derived from hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO). In 2023, DB intends to use 17 million liters of such fuel - twice as much as previously planned. Railway Supply magazine reports this with reference to zdmira.
The German Federal Audit Office found that the Federal Ministry for Digitalization and Transport (BMDV) has failed to charge fees to recover the costs of services it provides or funds for the German railway industry. It is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to IRJ.
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has officially opened a modernized ICE long-distance train maintenance center in Berlin-Rummelsburg. After an investment of 200 million euros, the maintenance capacity has been increased by 30 percent. Additional jobs were also created. Railway Supply magazine writes about this with reference to RailTech.
The Supervisory Board of German Railways (DB) instructed the holding's board to prepare for the sale of up to 100% of the shares of its subsidiary, DB Schenker, which provides transport and logistics services worldwide. The proceeds from the sale of funds will remain at the disposal of DB and will, among other things, be used to significantly reduce the holding's debt. It is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to zdmira.
The Federal Ministry for Digital Technology and Transport (BMDV) and Deutsche Bahn (DB) will allocate an additional 1 billion euros to modernize and digitalize German railways. About 2.7 billion euros are currently earmarked for investment. It is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to the Global Railway Review.
Since 2019, Deutsche Bahn, as part of the Digitale Schiene Deutschland (DSD) initiative, has been implementing the Sensors4Rail project, which provides for the creation of an obstacle recognition system for unmanned trains. In such a system, artificial intelligence is used. For the training of AI it is necessary to reproduce many situations on the railway network under different weather conditions and at different times of the day. For this, real data obtained from on-board sensors or simulation modeling can be used. Railway Supply magazine writes about this with reference to zdmira.
According to preliminary data, a serious accident involving two freight trains in the Gifhorn district in Lower Saxony was caused by a person. The line near Leiferde was erroneously made available for use by a Deutsche Bahn employee even though a freight train had already stopped there. The federal police said the railroad worker is under investigation for violating rail traffic and unintentionally causing bodily harm. It is reported by Railway Supply magazine with reference to Kurier Kolewjowy.
