Future direction of DB Group

Future business policy

In the 2019 financial year, we intend to maintain our market positions and continue to grow organically in our business units. Through our Agen­­da for a Better Railway we have laid the groundwork for the actions necessary to achieve this in the coming years. Following the weak development in the year under review, improving punctuality. continues to be an area of focus for us.

Future strategic focus

As part of our strategy development in 2018, our Agenda for a Better Railway ad­­dresses the most important and urgent short-term areas of activity in the integrated rail system in Germany and consolidates them into a specific program portfolio. The focus in 2019 will be on the following programs:

• Managing and increasing network capacity and punctuality through capacity management and Digital Rail for Germany, expansion of vehicle capacity and availability in DB Long-Distance, securing the necessary staff capacity.
• Stabilizing and improving the situation at DB Cargo, stabilizing and improving the situation at DB Regional (rail and bus), passenger transport mobility portfolio.
• Reinforcing the process perspective and joint management and leadership.

The Agenda for a Better Railway forms the basis of the future strategic direction of DB Group. Based on this, we will develop a new corporate strategy in the first half-year of 2019 with a target horizon of 2030.

Future sales markets

Our opportunities for growth in the German passenger transport market are limited due to the intensity of competition and restrictions imposed by antitrust laws. As a result, we are primarily focused on defending our strong market position and improving the competitive position of the railways in intermodal competition. Over the medium term, we foresee a shift to demand-driven road transport in the German passenger transport market as new data-based business models are established. Autonomous driv­­ing, for example, will lead to ever fewer people having to own their own car. At the same time, autonomous transport on the road could potentially make certain areas of public transport independent of stops/stations and schedules, and thus enhance flexibility. Our growth potential in the area of passenger transport services lies in countries outside of Germany and in cross-border long-distance rail passenger transport services.

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.

We also do not expect significant changes in the area of freight forwarding and logistics in 2019. DB Schenker is already very well represented in all key markets and regions.