Organizational structure
DB Group is a leading provider in the mobility and logistics sector, and primarily consists of the integrated rail system and the two major international investments DB Schenker and DB Arriva. The integrated rail system includes our passenger transport activities in Germany, our rail freight transport activities, the operating service units, and the rail infrastructure companies (RIC). DB Group, with its head office in Berlin, employs about 340,000 people. Our business operations are focused on rail transport in Germany.

Our primary concern is the shift from road traffic to climate-friendly rail. To this end, we rely on integrated operation of transport and rail infrastructure, the economically and environmentally intelligent linkage of all modes of transport, as well as cooperation in German and European networks. We operate Europe’s longest rail network and are also one of the largest energy suppliers in Germany.
Our national and international services give us leading market positions in our relevant markets.
DB AG is the parent company of DB Group. It has been a stock corporation under German law since it was founded in 1994 and accordingly has a dual management and control structure comprising a Management Board and a Supervisory Board. The changes in the composition of the Supervisory Board and the Management Board are presented in the report of the Supervisory Board. The Federal Republic of Germany is the sole owner of DB AG.
In DB Group, DB AG runs all business units as an operating management holding company and supports the business units through various central governance functions and DB Business Services. In addition, DB Operational Services primarily provide services to intra-Group customers as legally independent subsidiaries of DB AG. DB Group RIC are legally independent companies with separate balance sheets and statements of income, and thus fulfill all unbundling requirements under European and national law. There is also a functional unbundling, which guarantees the independence of decisions by DB Netz AG in relation to infrastructure access and charges. Reliability and stability form the basis of high-quality infrastructure. The essential cornerstones for profitable business are sustainable financing of the existing infrastructure and its expansion as required. The Performance and Financing Agreement (Leistungs- und Finanzierungsvereinbarung; LuFV) makes a significant contribution to ensuring the maintenance of the existing network.
Our primary concern is the shift from road traffic to climate-friendly rail. To this end, we rely on integrated operation of transport and rail infrastructure, the economically and environmentally intelligent linkage of all modes of transport, as well as cooperation in German and European networks. We operate Europe’s longest rail network and are also one of the largest energy suppliers in Germany. Our national and international services give us leading market positions in our relevant markets.
DB AG is the parent company of DB Group. It has been a stock corporation under German law since it was founded in 1994 and accordingly has a dual management and control structure comprising a Management Board and a Supervisory Board. The changes in the composition of the Supervisory Board and the Management Board are presented in the report of the Supervisory Board. The Federal Republic of Germany is the sole owner of DB AG.
In DB Group, DB AG runs all business units as an operating management holding company and supports the business units through various central governance functions and DB Business Services. In addition, DB Operational Services primarily provide services to intra-Group customers as legally independent subsidiaries of DB AG. DB Group RIC are legally independent companies with separate balance sheets and statements of income, and thus fulfill all unbundling requirements under European and national law. There is also a functional unbundling, which guarantees the independence of decisions by DB Netz AG in relation to infrastructure access and charges. Reliability and stability form the basis of high-quality infrastructure. The essential cornerstones for profitable business are sustainable financing of the existing infrastructure and its expansion as required. The Performance and Financing Agreement(Leistungs- und Finanzierungsvereinbarung; LuFV) makes a significant contribution to ensuring the maintenance of the existing network.
DB Group focuses on the business operations of the integrated rail system.
Given the importance of Strong Rail for Europe, Europe will continue to be the main field of action for DB Group in future. International major investments are measured by the contribution to the Strong Rail:
- Strategically relevant subsidiaries such as DB Schenker will therefore continue to be held as financial investments. Joint operational initiatives focus on achieving synergies within the integrated network.
- DB Arriva only accounts for a small amount of operational and strategic added value in Strong Rail. There are currently no significant synergies with the integrated rail system on the customer, production or product side. The Group therefore still intends to sell the business.