DB Cargo to utilize digitalization solutions for safety, operational improvements

The German rail company is planning to use digital solutions such as track and trace and safety components like ETCS as the European rail industry overall continues to struggle with unreliability.    A European rail freight conference last month highlighted the disparity between European transport funding and market and capacity share in the rail freight segment.
   According to The Loadstar, the comments by Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc to the European rail freight sector “that ‘rail accounts for 73 percent of European transport funding but accounts for under 12 percent of modal share’ is a timely wake up call to the industry and member states.”
   Rail freight has experienced delays and unreliability, despite its inherent advantage over road transportation in Europe, The Loadstar said. Operational reliability is more often in the 60-70 percent range for rail freight and even worse when tracks close, such as at Rastatt in Germany in mid-2017, The Loadstar said. Over 200 trains a day were disrupted for six weeks at Rastatt over the summer. However, some rail companies are not completely deaf and blind to the numbers analysts have pointed out.
   German rail company DB Cargo has taken steps to improve its performance through digital enhancements, media reports revealed. “We are adjusting our system to meet the increasing demands of European transport logistics issues. That involves strengthening the European transport corridors, introducing more interoperable locomotives and becoming more efficient. To achieve all this, we are developing our track & trace systems as well as an integrated and universal logistics and information system across Europe for our customers,” said Raimund Stüer, sales director at DB Cargo in a New Years message to employees and customers.
   “Digitization plays a key role for us – which brings us to our third task for 2018. Using digital solutions, we intend to fit our locomotives and wagons with transport-support systems such as tracking & tracing and sensors for our locomotives and wagons so that we can provide you with more information for your logistics operations,” said Stüer.
   As reported by DC Velocity earlier this week, DB Cargo has launched an international project to equip 1,200 of its locomotives with European Train Control System (ETCS) by 2026, with the aid of grants from the European Union (EU). ETCS is the signaling and control component of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS). It is a replacement for legacy train protection systems and designed to replace the many incompatible safety systems currently used by European railways.
   While DB Cargo was not available for comment, the ETCS system would provide a measure of digitalization upgrades throughout its European operations. According to DC Velocity, installation of ETCS equipment on the fleet will take place between January 2019 and December 2023.