Deutsche Bahn (DB) has entered into a landmark long-term volume contract with four rail industry companies for the supply and implementation of digital control and safety technology (DLST).
This 6.3 billion EUR agreement marks a significant step in modernising Germany’s railway infrastructure.
The contract covers digital interlocking technology (DSTW), including the European Train Control System (ETCS) and integrated control and operating systems. The agreement ensures that DB will procure 15,500 control units by the end of 2028, with individual projects extending until 2032.
The agreement brings together four key industry players: MerMec Deutschland GmbH, Hitachi Rail GTS Deutschland GmbH, Alstom, and Siemens Mobility, in consortium with Leonhard Weiss.
Unlike traditional procurement models, this contract commits DB to binding call-off quantities, providing stability for suppliers and allowing industry partners to develop platform solutions with standard interfaces and the required resources.
A key advantage of this model is the significant reduction in project timelines. Previously, the planning and implementation of signalling technology could take up to eight years. The new framework will cut this time substantially, enabling faster deployment of modern systems.
Additionally, the agreement eliminates the need for multiple individual contracts and separate project tenders, simplifying procurement and execution. This approach is expected to serve as a model for further modernisation initiatives within DB.
Berthold Huber, DB Board Member for Infrastructure said:In the next few years, we want to massively advance digitisation in the network and renew many times over the number of signals, switch drives and signal boxes across the country. The new volume contract with the sector will significantly accelerate this process. We have entered into a new partnership and agreed on a complete package that benefits both sides - and our customers on the network. Control and safety technology is one of the most quality-critical trades with the highest level of obsolescence. The volume contract will make a significant contribution to changing this situation and renewing more control and safety technology more quickly.
The first contract calls, worth several million euros, are anticipated in spring 2025, marking the beginning of a large-scale transformation in Germany’s rail control and safety technology.
