"Die Bahn" -- Deutsche Bahn AG

History

On January 1st, 1994, the state-run railway systems of Western Germany and the former GDR, Deutsche Bundesbahn and Deutsche Reichsbahn, were merged and privatised in what came to be known as the German Railway Reform ("Bahnreform"). They became Deutsche Bahn AG -- at first glance, a private corporation, but really a huge mess of companies, subcompanies and subsubcompanies under the aegis of a central holding company.

Structure

Deutsche Bahn's corporate structure is as complicated as anyone might expect. Several separate business units exist, some of the run as GmbHs, some as AGs. Just some of the "Bahn daughters" in alphabetical order:

• DB Cargo -- runs freight trains all over Europe
• DB Dialog -- call centres
• DB Energie -- buys, sells, generates and distributes all forms of energy trains and railway infrastructure require (i.e. 15 kV / 16-2/3 Hz two-phase catenary AC, all-purpose 230/400 V / 50 Hz AC, diesel fuel etc.)
• DB FuhrparkService -- sells cars (the road variety, not railway cars) that have been used up in DB service
• DB Netz -- owns and maintains the track network (in the role Railtrack used to have in Britain)
• DB Regio -- provider of commuter and regional passenger services to Germany's regional linked transport systems ("Verkehrsverbünde") and anyone else who might care to order some
• DB Reise&Touristik -- long-distance and high-speed passenger services, travel agencies etc.
• DB Rent -- mobility services (car rental, bicycle rental etc.)
• DB Services -- facility management and services
• DB Systems -- IT consulting and services
• DB Station&Service -- operates stations
• DB Systemtechnik -- railway engineering R&D
• DB Telematik -- telecommunications consulting and services
• DB ZugBus -- regional transport around Lake Constance
• MITROPA -- founded in 1916 and provider of hotel and restaurant services onboard passenger trains, in stations, shopping malls and motorway restaurants (I kid you not!)
• Mobile Oberbauschweißtechnik (MOS) -- mobile rail welding
• Stinnes -- recently-acquired all-around logistics partner
• SüdbadenBus -- bus lines in southern Badenia

All these business units are of course subdivided into many, many smaller companies.

Assets

Just to give you a slight impression:

• more than 2,700 passenger-service locomotives
• more than 1,800 DMUs
• more than 1,400 EMUs
• more than 12,600 passenger cars
• more than 1,400 electric freight-service locomotives
• more than 2,000 diesel freight-service locomotives and shunters
• more than 128,000 freight cars (plus about 65,000 owned by third parties)
• more than 36,000 kilometres of track (nearly 20,000 electrified) comprising more than 93,000 switches and crossings and over 7,500 stations and stops, about 26,000 road crossings, 844 tunnels and nearly 33,000 bridges

Deutsche Bahn is the biggest investor and one of the biggest employers in Germany and Europe's largest rail-transport company.

See also

• Deutsche Bahn freight car designations
• Deutsche Bahn locomotive numbering
• Deutsche Bahn passenger car designations
• S-Bahn