Rail technology from Berlin – on the right track
Berlin is known across the world as a traditional center for rail technology. Names like Borsig, AEG and Siemens have left their mark on the history of the railroad and the region alike.
Rail technology is an industrial pillar of the region's economy with a high degree of integration. The entire value chain is represented here by companies that range from mid-sized suppliers to major corporations.
Facts and figures
- Over 100 rail technology companies with over 20,000 employees;
- Global market leader Alstom and other global players in rail technology are located in Berlin (Knorr-Bremse, Siemens Mobility, Stadler Deutschland, Talgo Deutschland, Thales)
- Headquarters of Deutsche Bahn AG: The company is the largest private sector employer in Berlin with more than 25,000 employees;
- The public transport network Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) is one of the largest local transport systems in the world: Some 2.9 million passengers every day, more than 137 million kilometers traveled annually. With almost 16,000 employees, the BVG is one of the largest employers in Berlin;
- The leading rail industry event, "InnoTrans", takes place every two years in Berlin; next time will be from 24-27 September 2024;
- Top-level expertise in diverse related technologies, such as telematics, automotive engineering, materials engineering and information technology;
- The region is home to numerous centers of expertise, with link stakeholders from science & business;
- Research institutes, such as the TU, the HTW, the DLR, and the Fraunhofer institutes with recognized expertise in railway technology, which are organized in the Center for Digital Networking (LZDV);
- Outstanding pool of highly qualified technical specialists and management talent due to various programs in the rail technology field at Berlin's universities and universities of applied sciences;
- The rail technology industry focuses on rail vehicle technology, control and safety technology, passenger information systems, engineering for the digitalisation of rail operations, maintenance of rail infrastructure and rail vehicles and a diverse supply industry for rail technology components.
- Development of the railway technology Campus Havelland, based on the plot lines of logistics, commerce, research & practice, as well as science & education, at the location of the traditional location of the former Wustermark switch yard.
- Berlin’s Hauptbahnhof is the largest train station serving multiple lines in Europe.
Research environment
Numerous university-based and non-university research institutions offer extensive expertise in vehicle engineering, infrastructure, railway operations, and forward-looking technologies for the rail sector — ranging from fundamental research to applied, practice-oriented development.
TU Berlin - Berlin Technical University
- Institute of Land and Sea Transport Systems
- Department of railway vehicles
Focus areas: Acoustics, Energy & Propulsion, Vehicle dynamics, Passive safety, Telematics & Maintenance - Department of track and railway operations
Focus areas: Automation, Rail Human Factors, Alternative Drives, Risk and Safety - Department of electronic measurement and diagnostics technology
Methods of modeling, signal processing and pattern recognition (machine learning) with focus on AI-based methods for system diagnostics and estimating the remaining service life of mechatronic systems - Daimler Center for Automotive IT Innovations (DCAITI)
Focus areas: Connected and secure mobility, automated and collaborative mobility, high precision digital maps
HTW Berlin - University of Applied Sciences
- Department 1 - Energy and Information
Computer Engineering / Systems Engineering with a focus on: Safe Embedded Systems, Model-Based Systems Engineering, Open Adaptive Systems, Safety Aspects of Artificial Intelligence - Department 4 - Information Technology, Communication and Economics
Focus areas: Industrial Marketing, Transportation, Railroad
Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau (Technische Hochschule Wildau)
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences
Focus areas: Mobility and transportation, including transportation systems engineering and aviation logistics; the only full-degree program in Telematics in Germany
Other facilities
- Institute of Railway Technology (IFB Institut für Bahntechnik GmbH)
Business areas: Railroad operation, Railroad networks, Railroad safety technology, Electric railroads, IT products, Rail vehicles, Wheel-rail, Test center “Stationary optical uplift measurement”
