German rail workers strike again, and hard this time
Another round of railway strikes are to be held in Germany. Members of labour union EVG are called upon to stop working from Sunday, 14 May 10 pm up to Tuesday, 16 May midnight. “Especially...Read more
Deutsche Bahn completes digital freight train test run
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has completed the first practical test of the so-called digital freight train. This test train was equipped with various prototypes of digital automatic couplers (DAC). The trial convoy ran throughout Europe for...Read more
DB’s locomotives at Munich North’s shunting yard will run on HVO
Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) shunting locomotives at the Munich-North shunting yard (Rangierbahnhof München Nord) will now be fuelled solely by Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). “DB Energie has completely converted the refueling station at the Munich North...Read more
DB introduces tighter criteria for sleepers inspection
The various inspection rounds of sleepers across Germany in recent months have resulted in new, tightened procedures at Deutsche Bahn (DB) regarding future inspections. DB has stated that it will implement “stricter criteria for the...Read more
German union calls for massive rail strike to start on 27 March
STRIKESA massive, nationwide rail strike in Germany will start on Monday, 27 March. It will be carried out by the rail union EVG, which represents most of the country’s railway workforce. EVG blamed DB for...Read more
Railway employees feel mocked by DB’s collective bargaining offer
As the first round of collective wage bargaining between unions and DB is ongoing, the two sides are yet to find common ground. DB made a first offer to union EVG, representing the bulk of...Read more
DB charging customers to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine
Sending humanitarian aid from Germany to Ukraine via rail with Deutsche Bahn (DB) is no longer free of charge as of 1 January 2023. In other words, anyone who wants to send aid to Ukraine...Read more
Express train paths back on German timetable in 2024
Starting from next year, it will be possible again to book an express train path on the German railway network. This possibility was excluded by the infrastructure manager since the prioritisation of coal trains, a...Read more
Deutsche Bahn hires three investment giants to sell DB Schenker
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has hired three investment banks to prepare for the sale of its logistics subsidiary DB Schenker. The three banks are Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and German bank Deutsche Bank, with the latter...Read more
Deutsche Bahn to operate new 520-km line for port terminal in Brazil
Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Brazilian logistics firm Grão-Pará Maranhão (GPM) signed a 3-billion-euro agreement for the Alcantara Port Terminal (APT), in Sao Luis, northeastern Brazil. According to the agreement, DB will also become the rail...Read moreCollective wage bargaining between DB and unions takes an early wrong turn
Collective wage bargaining between German railway unions and employers has started. The first round of negotiations was not very constructive, though, with Deutsche Bahn and transport association EVG unable to find common ground regarding a...Read more
3,000 massive LNG pipes on rail in quest of Germany’s energy transition
The last few months have been hectic in northwestern Germany’s Brunsbüttel Elbe port, where a new LNG import terminal is under construction. Such energy infrastructures typically demand colossal transport projects to move components and materials,...Read more
Freight traffic in Filstal relieved with new mainline in Germany
Deutsche Bahn has completed a new main line for rail traffic throughout Germany. The new Wendlingen–Ulm line officially went into operation on Friday 9 December. The new construction will relieve the Filstal route, which will...Read more
German rail network gets another 1 billion for modernisation
The Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) and Deutsche Bahn (DB) will direct an additional 1 billion euros towards the modernisation and digitisation of the German railways. Around 2.7 billion euros is now...Read moreGermany: more traffic restrictions likely as DB hunts faulty sleepers
Deutsche Bahn (DB) is expanding its investigation into potentially faulty sleepers in the wake of last summer’s deadly derailment in Bavaria. DB expects it will have to test around 130,000 sleepers nationwide and – if...Read more
These German lines will be renovated over the next 20 months
Deutsche Bahn (DB) has named the railway corridors Hamburg-Berlin and Emmerich-Oberhausen as the two sites where it will carry out major improvement works from late 2024 onwards. The overhaul is part of DB’s ongoing project...Read more
Collision: Berlin-Hanover line closed at least until the end of the weekend
The Berlin-Hanover railway line has been closed after two freight trains collided near Giifhorn, 60 kilometres east of Hannover, in northern Germany. Since the accident caused one wagon filled with propane gas to leak, it...Read more‘Disruptions due to coal transport prioritisation should not be ruled out’
Everything goes according to the plan regarding coal transport by rail, says Deutsche Bahn. The federal government’s prioritisation plans seem to be working with the country’s first major energy production plants receiving regular trains. However,...Read moreRail prioritisation of energy supplies in Germany: much ado about nothing?
The prioritisation of trains carrying energy supplies in Germany was enforced two months ago, on 24 August and is planned to stay in place for six months. At the time, rail freight companies had mixed...Read more