Future direction of DB Group

The Strong Rail strategy, which was introduced in June 2019, continues to define the future direction of DB Group.

Future sales markets

Our opportunities for growth in the German passenger transport market are limited, both due to the high level of competition and restrictions imposed by antitrust laws. On the other hand, an increasing number of positive signals are coming from decision makers who want to support rail as an environmentally friendly mode of transport through targeted measures. As such, our focus is still on expanding capacity, and therefore on defending our strong market position and increasing the share of rail in intermodal competition. In the German passenger transport market, we expect a continued shift toward needs-oriented road transport in the medium term. For example, autonomous driving will lead to ever fewer people having to own their own car. Autonomous road transport also offers the potential to free certain elements of public transport from dependence on stops and schedules, thus making them more flexible.

In the area of rail freight transport, our focus continues to be on the European market. We are well-positioned in all of the central European corridors and offer service connections to locations as far afield as China.