Annual review 2022 – Outlook for 2023

After a long wait, trade fairs were finally held again on site and personal exchange with our customers was possible at events. As a management team, we have regrouped and further developed our strategic orientation. Our goal as DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung is to shape the maintenance market proactively and the modal shift. This requires more trains on the rails. Significant investments have been initiated for our maintenance plants and important construction progress has been achieved. Join us for a short review.

Investment of 18 million euros in the Krefeld maintenance depot

In order to meet the increasing demands, work on the new, approximately 2,700 square metre maintenance hall began at the Krefeld maintenance depot in April of this year. In the future, trains will be repaired here in case of major damage. Four heavy-duty stands will be built and at the same time other workshops will be relocated to create additional capacity for maintenance work on different ICE models. The investment sends a clear signal for Krefeld as a railway location. Completion is planned for the course of 2024.

Start of construction for the new maintenance depot in Cottbus

We were able to make further important progress in Cottbus in May. The groundbreaking ceremony for our new maintenance depot, where the first ICE 4 trains are to be maintained in 2024, took place there. The construction of the new maintenance depot is essential to meet the increasing maintenance requirements. The first 500 of a total of 1,200 new jobs and apprenticeships will also be available here by 2024. Together with the federal government and the state of Brandenburg, DB is thus strengthening the economic power and future viability of the Lusatia region.

InnoTrans 2022 - a great success

After a four-year break, the rail and transport technology industry met in Berlin in September at the 13th InnoTrans - the International Trade Fair for Transport Technology. At the DB Group booth, we presented a variety of future-oriented topics as DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung: In addition to the new Cottbus maintenance depot, we showed, for example, the topics of alternative drives, service life extension of electronic components and 3D printing. In addition, we were able to strengthen existing partnerships and gain new ones at the trade fair: We were able to extend the cooperation with RAlpin until 2028, expand the partnership with MRCE by signing a joint letter of intent, and conclude a new cooperation with Siemens Mobility.

Future-oriented solutions at the customer forum

In November, we met with our customers in the historic atmosphere of the Historisches Schloss (Electoral Palace) in Mainz to exchange views on the future of rail transport. Various presentations and a panel discussion focused on the question of how future-oriented maintenance can support growth on the railways and ensure vehicle availability in the future. To be able to meet the requirements and the increasing demand, we will rely on a focused product range and the design of a partnership model in the future. There was consensus that the challenges of decarbonising transport and those facing the maintenance market can only be met together to exploit the resulting opportunities and synergy effects.

Outlook: one move ahead - from service provider to business partner

Finally, we would like to take a look into the future with you. We have further developed our corporate strategy. It is not enough for us to be just a service provider. Our motto is: "One move ahead". As a business partner at eye level, we want to proactively shape the modal shift and the future. Our mission is to ensure that trains get back on track faster. With individual partnership models, we deliver customer-centric solutions that add value on both sides. We look forward to walking this path together with our customers in the years to come.

We say thank you!

On behalf of DB Fahrzeuginstandhaltung, I would like to express my warmest thanks to our customers and partners for their trust and cooperation this year. I look forward to working with you in the coming years to tackle and master the challenges presented by transport decarbonization together and in partnership. I wish you a happy holiday season and a healthy and successful new year.

Yours sincerely,

Nicole Friedrich