SNCF and Deutsche Bahn cooperate on sustainable tech
SNCF and Deutsche Bahn (DB) have signed a new cooperation agreement focusing on innovation, eight years after their initial technological partnership began.
SNCF Président Jean-Pierre Farandou, DB President Richard Lutz, SNCF’s Director of Technologies and Innovation Carole Desnost, and DB’s Director of Digitization and Technology Daniela Gerd tom Markotten signed the agreement to enhance their existing collaboration.
Pooling technological expertise
The new agreement will see SNCF and DB pool their technological and digital expertise to build the future railway system. The goal is to improve customer service quality, performance, and the attractiveness of rail transport through innovation and technology.
While rail is already one of the most environmentally friendly modes of transport, the cooperation between SNCF and DB also encompasses sustainability initiatives to reduce their ecological footprint further and expand social responsibility.
Current initiatives focus on the future European rail system, including its architecture and various technological modules like digitised trains, satellite-based train localisation, and future 5G communication systems. The companies aim to accelerate progress in key areas such as digital freight to improve cross-border exchanges.
Additionally, they seek to advance the use of artificial intelligence for rail operations and crowd analysis at stations, promote open-source applications for infrastructure and timetable design, and explore the potential of quantum computing.
SNCF and DB are working together on their vision of sustainable stations, defining common indicators, best practices for public well-being, sustainable design solutions, and measures to adapt to climate change. They are collaborating on the standardisation of battery and hydrogen trains and sustainable train maintenance.
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