New ETCS Test Laboratory in Minden Supports the Digital Railway: Technical Article in bahn manager magazine

The digitalisation of rail transport requires more than 1,000 existing vehicles in Germany to be equipped with the European Train Control System (ETCS). To support this transformation, DB Systemtechnik has established a new ETCS Test Laboratory in Minden, providing additional testing and approval capacities.

The Test Laboratory brings together infrastructure, vehicles and software from different manufacturers in a controlled environment. Using hardware-in-the-loop simulations, virtual routes and digital twins, complex scenarios can be tested under realistic conditions without affecting ongoing railway operations. 

This approach offers significant advantages for testing and approval processes. New software releases can be validated before deployment, risks can be identified at an early stage and costly field tests can be reduced. At the same time, the laboratory provides a foundation for future technologies such as Automated Train Operation (ATO) and the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS). 

Server Rack and DMI Test Bench in the ETCS Test Laboratory

Server Rack and DMI Test Bench in the ETCS Test Laboratory

By establishing the ETCS Test Laboratory, DB Systemtechnik is helping to bring ETCS into operation faster, more efficiently and more reliably, while actively advancing the digitalisation of rail transport. 

Read more in the DB Systemtechnik technical article “ETCS Test Laboratory Minden Drives Digitalisation Forward” published in issue 4/2026 of bahn manager.