Press release
World premiere: DB and Siemens present
the first automatic train
S-Bahn Hamburg: Hanseatic city is pioneering digital rail operations • Passengers
benefit from expanded rail services and greater punctuality(Hamburg, October 11, 2021) Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Siemens Mobility have developed theworld’s first train that operates by itself in rail traffic.
Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of DB, and Dr. Roland Busch, CEO of Siemens AG, together with Dr.
Peter Tschentscher, Mayor of Hamburg, presented the train today as it made its premiere
run as part of the Digital S-Bahn Hamburg project.
The train is controlled by digital technology and is fully automated. The driver remains onthe train to supervise the journey with passengers on board. Shunting, such as turning thetrain around, is done without on-board personnel. The project partners DB, Siemens
Mobility, and the City of Hamburg have invested a total of €60 million in the digital S-Bahn
Hamburg, which is part of DB’s Digital Rail Germany project.
Dr. Richard Lutz, CEO of DB: “Today we’re experiencing the true turn of an era: The railroad
has arrived in the digital future and Digital Rail Germany has become a reality. With
automated rail operations, we can offer our passengers a significantly expanded, morereliable and therefore improved service – without having to lay a single kilometer of newtrack. It is our goal to make rail transport attractive to ever-larger numbers of people, whichis the only way we can achieve the mobility transition.”"We are making rail transport more intelligent. Trains drive the perfect timetable
automatically, accurate to the second and energy-optimised," says Dr. Roland Busch, CEO ofSiemens AG. "This way, we are supporting our partner Deutsche Bahn in its goal of making
train travel more attractive and protecting the climate. With our technology, our customers
can transport up to 30 percent more passengers, significantly improve punctuality and savemore than 30 percent energy. The digital S-Bahn Hamburg marks a world premiere. The newtechnology has already been officially approved and, since it features open interfaces, canimmediately be used by operators worldwide for all types of trains.”
Dr Peter Tschentscher, First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: "Digitisation
holds a lot of potential for the entire Hamburg S-Bahn network. We are creating greater
capacities on the existing tracks and improve reliability and punctuality of rail travel. Thepremiere of the digital S-Bahn at the ITS World Congress is a strong signal for efficient andclimate-friendly mobility of the future."
The digital S-Bahn had its premiere run at the opening of the Intelligent Transport Systems
World Congress (ITS) in Hamburg. During the congress, four digital S-Bahn trains will

Publisher: Deutsche Bahn AG, Potsdamer Platz 2, 10785 Berlin, Deutschland
Responsible for the content: Head of Communication Marketing, Oliver Schumacher

Jens-Oliver Voß
Head of Communication
Railway in Germany
Deutsche Bahn
Tel. +49 (0) 30 297-61030
presse@deutschebahn.com
deutschebahn.com/presse
twitter.com/DB_Presse

Silke Thomson-Pottebohm
Spokesperson
Siemens Mobility
silke.thomsonpottebohm@siemens.com
Tel.: +49 (0)174 306 3307
mobility.siemens.com
twitter.com/SiemensMobility

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Press release
operate automatically along the 23-kilometer section of S-Bahn Line 21 between the Berliner
Tor and Bergedorf/Aumühle stations.
The technical basis for digital rail operations is the future European Automatic TrainOperation (ATO) standard, combined with the European Train Control System (ETCS). Thetrains receive their control signals via radio. The four digital S-Bahn trains in Hamburg will
provide regular scheduled passenger service beginning in December. Plans to digitalize
Hamburg’s S-Bahn entire system by the end of the decade are already under way, andinvestments in trains and infrastructure are being made. The technology is projected to be
used nationwide for regional and mainline rail systems.
DB presents further innovations at the ITS World Congress in Hamburg
From October 11 to 15, Hamburg and the ITS World Congress are the global showcase for thefuture of mobility. Companies from around the world are presenting their innovations at theworld’s largest trade fair for transport and logistics. Deutsche Bahn is highlighting
innovations in rail infrastructure, train stations, mainline and commuter transport, andmobility interconnections. Just last year, DB and the city of Hamburg extended their 2017
smart city partnership for a further five years. Both partners plan to use digital technologies
and innovative ideas to make local public transport and train stations more attractive forcustomers. This trend can already be seen at the Dammtor train station, the gateway to theITS World Congress: Improved displays with new train information and innovative routing
guidance provide orientation for all travelers and congress guests. Artist-designed
showcases create a special flair in the station.
This press release and a press picture are available at https://sie.ag/3Ds8Dud
For further information about Digital S-Bahn Hamburg, please see
https://www.mobility.siemens.com/global/en/portfolio/references/digital-s-bahnhamburg.html

Siemens Mobility is a separately managed company of Siemens AG. As a leader in transport
solutions for more than 160 years, Siemens Mobility is constantly innovating its portfolio in
its core areas of rolling stock, rail automation and electrification, turnkey systems, intelligent
traffic systems as well as related services. With digitalization, Siemens Mobility is enabling
mobility operators worldwide to make infrastructure intelligent, increase value sustainably
over the entire lifecycle, enhance passenger experience and guarantee availability. In fiscal
year 2020, which ended on September 30, 2020, Siemens Mobility posted revenue of €9.1
billion and had around 38,500 employees worldwide. Further information is available at:www.siemens.com/mobility.

Publisher: Deutsche Bahn AG, Potsdamer Platz 2, 10785 Berlin, Deutschland
Responsible for the content: Head of Communication Marketing, Oliver Schumacher

Jens-Oliver Voß
Head of Communication
Railway in Germany
Deutsche Bahn
Tel. +49 (0) 30 297-61030
presse@deutschebahn.com
deutschebahn.com/presse
twitter.com/DB_Presse

Silke Thomson-Pottebohm
Spokesperson
Siemens Mobility
silke.thomsonpottebohm@siemens.com
Tel.: +49 (0)174 306 3307
mobility.siemens.com
twitter.com/SiemensMobility

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