DB Systemtechnik company history
Past and present – your partner for a safe, reliable railway system
Picture: Test run preparations in the Fifties (Munich-Freimann)
As the successor to the central railway offices, DB Systemtechnik GmbH looks back on a long technical tradition. The essential task of the erstwhile technology centres of Deutsche Reichsbahn or Deutsche Bundesbahn was to develop and practically test railway vehicles.
Today, DB Systemtechnik is the leading competence centre for rail technology throughout Europe and offers its engineering and testing services for the entire rail sector.
| 1945-1992 | The functions of the erstwhile central Reichsbahn office ('Reichsbahnzentralamt') in Berlin are taken over under the new name of central Bundesbahn office ('Bundesbahnzentralamt'), initially in Göttingen and, from 1950 onwards, in Minden and Munich. |
| 1.6.1992 | Deutsche Bundesbahn creates the Research and Development Board area with the central Bundesbahn offices and one testing institute. |
| 20.4.1993 | Deutsche Bundesbahn creates a new Board Division by the name of "Research and Technology" and defines Minden and Munich as its main locations. |
| 1.1.1994 | Railway reform and establishment of Deutsche Bahn AG as a federal railway company organized under private law. |
| 1994 | The central Bundesbahn offices are reorganised as a research and technology centre with test centres in Minden, Munich, Kirchmöser and Berlin. |
| 30.10.1995 | "New Munich-Freimann building“: at the Munich location in Völckerstrasse, a new administration building is constructed on the site of the Munich Freimann test institute. |
| 1.4.1997 | Research and technology centre of Deutsche Bahn founded. |
| 1.1.2002 | Research and technology centre renamed as DB Systemtechnik. |
| 1.9.2011 | DB Systemtechnik spun out as an independent limited liability company (GmbH). |
| 1.1.2012 | Takeover of the two English firms ESG and RAL by DB Schenker UK. |
| 1.1.2013 | Opening of an office in Paris. |
| April 2013 | DB Systemtechnik becomes a rail company and can perform test runs on its own. |
| Juni 2013 | DB Systemtechnik works on a memorandum of understanding and receives interim Designated Body status. |