DB E.C.O. Group

DB E.C.O. Group provides the engineering, consulting and operations know-how of DB Group from a single source. This in­­cludes DB Engineering&Consulting (DB E&C), DB International Operations (DB IO), infraView, ESE and inno2grid.

DB Engineering&Consulting

• In 2022, DB E&C became the technical lead for planning section 4 of the “Expansion of the Haiger to Hanau line” project. The main aim of this major project is to expand the 241 km double-track line between Haiger and Hanau in order to provide an attractive alternative for freight trains coming from Belgium, the Netherlands and North Rhine-Westphalia in the direction of Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Austria. In March 2023, after just nine months, the first important milestone was reached and the variants concept report and the preliminary planning documentation were handed over.
• The 360° multisensor platform, developed in collaboration between DB E&C and DB Bahnbau, has been deployed in production since the beginning of 2023. The platform quickly captures the track infrastructure for large sections of track and provides georeferenced point clouds, image panoramas and radar programs in 360° mode. This is made possible by synchronized sensor technology (scanner, camera, GNSS and georadar) and serves as the basis for the digital twin for infrastructure and for maintenance. The data gathered are used for planning, construction, operation and maintenance of lines and are also used to create digital line models and high-resolution maps for fully automated rail operations.
• DB E&C has been awarded the contract for planning the long-distance rail tunnel in Frankfurt. This project will take around ten years to plan. Operational planning started at the end of March 2023.
• DB E&C played an important role in the integration of Tel Aviv’s state-of-the-art light rail system. Passenger services on the Red Line commenced in August 2023. DB E&C was responsible for the seamless integration and safeguarding of the project.
• DB E&C will advise the Kazakh railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) over the next three years on the modernization of passenger transport and the expansion of rail freight services. The cooperation will focus on the comprehensive restructuring of KTZ, including management support and active change management. Particular emphasis will be placed on the expansion of transport links between Kazakhstan and Central Europe along the Eurasian corridor and integration into the European transport system.
• The implementation of BIM continues to progress. The BIM implementation program has undergone further development and focuses on the standardization and optimization of production for planning and environment services and geoservices. In the area of construction monitoring, the aim is to achieve fundamental BIM operational capability. In addition, the Design Centers in India and Romania are to support projects with their daily activities and become more involved in professional development. More than 750 BIM projects have been worked on since 2018.
• The DB Rail Academy, DB E&C’s international training provider, has been training train drivers in Egypt for DB Group in Germany, among others, since 2023.

DB International Operations

• In October 2023, the first section of a new regional high-speed rail network was opened in India’s capital city, Delhi, which will be 82 km long once fully operational. RRTS is India’s first regional high-speed rail network. The trains can reach speeds of up to 160 km/h, making them the fastest in India to date. The network boasts state-of-the-art technology that will also be used in Germany in the future.
• As the leading partner of a joint venture in Canada, DB IO takes over planning, operation and maintenance of rail passenger transport in the metropolitan region of Toron­to. DB IO was awarded the 23-year operating and maintenance contract in December 2023. From January 1, 2025, DB IO will take over operations through its Canadian subsidiary ONxpress Operations Inc. The 450 km network line is to be fully modernized and expanded.
• In a joint venture with the Egyptian company Elsewedy Electric, DB IO was commissioned to operate infrastructure and vehicles for high-speed, regional and freight transport in Egypt, as well as the maintenance of stations and depots. Also known as the “Suez Canal on rails,” the new transportation network will connect the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. With 2,000 kilometers of track, it will be the sixth-largest high-speed network in the world.

infraView

• infraView is supporting DB InfraGO in the monitoring of level crossings. The IoT video surveillance developed by infraView is processed with AI and installed in the technical buildings to monitor the relay circuits.

ESE Engineering and Software Development

• ESE is involved in a joint research project coordinated by the Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) on the standardization of information flows in driverless public transport systems. A safety-compliant and standardized reference model for integrating automated vehicles of automation level 4 and higher is being developed for cost-effective integration of automated vehicles in public transport. It describes the added value of AI-supported methods for mastering process complexity.