{"id":26382,"date":"2017-11-15T22:54:13","date_gmt":"2017-11-16T03:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/german-railway-deutsche-bahn-train-ing-for-the-future\/"},"modified":"2017-11-15T22:56:48","modified_gmt":"2017-11-16T03:56:48","slug":"german-railway-deutsche-bahn-train-ing-for-the-future","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/german-railway-deutsche-bahn-train-ing-for-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"German Railway \u201cDeutsche Bahn:\u201d Train-ing for the Future?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The first railway in Germany was built in 1835<\/strong>, going hand in hand with the first industrial revolution. It is quite remarkable that 182 years later\u2014in the era of so-called \u201cIndustry 4.0\u201d, characterized by increasing automation and the rise of artificial intelligence\u2014taking the train still feels like a largely analog experience.<\/p>\n

The long-term vision for the future of rail, however, is one of a fully digitized experience:<\/b><\/strong> trains will be \u201cintelligent\u201d and fully connected with the infrastructure, using sensor technology to monitor themselves and the track; they will be fully automated, maximizing the railroad\u2019s capacity in real time, while maintaining highest security standards. Intelligent breaking systems and preventive maintenance will increase energy efficiency and asset lifetime. Information flow will be highly digitized: data will be shared with passengers in real time, and freight location and condition can be tracked at all times.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n

Granted, this vision is still far from being realized, due to ongoing technological development, costly new infrastructure as well as regulatory challenges, especially in Europe where cross-national standardization has to be taken into consideration. Nevertheless, many railway companies have made digitalization one of their top strategic priorities\u2014including Deutsche Bahn (DB), the largest railway and infrastructure operator in Europe. In 2015, as part of \u201cDB 4.0\u201d, the company launched six initiatives\u2014Mobility 4.0, Logistics 4.0, Infrastructure 4.0, Production 4.0, IT 4.0, and Work 4.0[2]<\/a>\u2014to foster digitalization along its entire supply chain. It committed to pursuing more than 150 individual digitalization projects, investing \u20ac1 billion in digitalization by 2018.[3]<\/a> In past years, DB has faced increasingly competitive pressure\u2014due to liberalization of distance coach travel, low fuel prices and tolls benefiting the trucking industry, and various sharing models on the rise.[4]<\/a> This has augmented the urgency of digitalization, promising to decrease cost and increase efficiency as well as capacity, at maximum safety.<\/p>\n

Especially in the area of asset and infrastructure maintenance DB has been an industry innovator, introducing both the usage of 3D-printed spare parts as well as preventive maintenance<\/b><\/strong>. With over 40 partners, including Siemens, DB launched the initiative \u201cMobility goes Additive.\u201d Between the end of 2015 and mid-2017, DB had already 3D-printed 1000 spare parts, aiming to double this number by the end of 2017 and to increase it up to 15,000 by the end of 2018.[5]<\/a> 3D printing is faster and cheaper than traditional procurement, thus shortening the supply chain and rendering it more cost-effective. Furthermore, 3D-printing offers the opportunity of on-demand delivery, rendering large warehouses and spare parts inventory obsolete, while shortening lead times and thus decreasing downtimes of trains. Finally, 3D-printing allows to continuously innovate and adapt part designs,[6]<\/a> decreasing material waste and product weight, which in turn reduces the attrition of rail infrastructure, leading to further cost savings.<\/p>\n