Environmental measures
- Sustainable Railway Station Charter: In June 2023, the Chief Executive Officers of DB AG and SNCF signed the jointly developed Sustainable Railway Station Charter. The Charter defines the guidelines for sustainable railway stations for the very first time. A sustainable station addresses the issues of environmental sustainability and social and corporate responsibility based on a common understanding. Important objectives and levers are specified, ranging from climate neutrality and climate resilience to support for local stakeholder structures.
- Services for sustainable onward mobility: The mobility hubs will provide more flexible connection options at the station. The various sharing services on offer provide a quick and easy interface to public transport services and make it easier to switch to new modes of mobility. Thirty-five new hubs went into operation in 2023.
- Bike+Ride initiative and Rad+: As part of the Bike+Ride initiative, we created over 6,000 bicycle parking spaces at 83 train stations in 2023 and offered advice to more than 54 local authorities through our station bicycle parking information points. By using the Rad+ app, cyclists in 19 cities are currently able to convert the kilometers they have cycled into rewards at 256 partner stores. Five new cities were added in 2023.
- Services for sustainable urban logistics: A Micro Depot was opened in Hamburg in February 2023 as part of an EU-funded project. The Depot is used by several logistics services providers and fine distribution is carried out in a climate-friendly manner using cargo bikes. Two Micro Depots are also in operation in Berlin. By the end of 2023, more than 350 new parcel stations had been installed at stations. As part of the cooperation with DHL, this number will initially be increased to about 800.
- Sustainable stations:
- The Little Station represents a new genera- tion of station buildings. These are constructed and operated in a climate-friendly way and are intended to make it easier for passengers to spend their time in rural areas. CO₂e emissions are already being reduced by using natural, sustainable and regional raw materials in construction. In December 2023, the Little Station in Zorneding was opened and the topping-out ceremony for the second Little Station in Haar was held.
- Construction of one of the most sustainable station buildings began in Bitterfeld in October 2023: recycled aluminum is being used in the construction and skylights and glass fronts will create a brighter ambience with less artificial lighting. The photovoltaic system will generate 100% of the electricity required and the heating requirements will be covered by climate-friendly district heating.
- Climate-friendly heat supply: In 2023, we used energy supply concepts at 15 locations to investigate how these could be converted to a sustainable, lower-emissions heat supply. The projects to convert ten locations to a sustainable heat supply were launched in 2023.
