Railway Technology

ON THE RIGHT TRACK

In 1839, Germany’s first long-distance rail line was officially inaugurated between Leipzig and Dresden. In the opening ceremony participated not only British locomotives, but also the first locomotive built in Germany, the “Saxonia”. This locomotive was manufactured by the “Maschinenbau-Anstalt Übigau” in the vicinity of Dresden. The “Saxonia” proved its worth with regard to its pulling power, speed, fuel consumption, and reliability. This marked the start of the success story of Saxony’s railway technology branch which can look back on 175 years of history today.

Front Page Industry Guide 2023 of the Rail.S Network

Source: Rail.S e. V.

Railway Technology in Saxony at a Glance

For more than 175 years now, Saxony has been standing for innovations in the rail industry. Since then, Saxony has evolved into a leading venue for rail technology and is among the top 3 centers of the branch in Germany today.

About 13,000 employees in more than 240 companies generate a turnover of approximately one billion euros every year. With Alstom, RailMaint, Goldschmidt Thermit, Voith, or the NSH Group, globally active manufacturers, suppliers, equipment providers, engineering and service providers of rail technology are located in Saxony. 

Fields of competence:

  • Production of complete rail vehicles and components
  • Drive and propulsion technology
  • Lightweight structures
  • Information systems, control and safety technology
  • Traffic route and track construction
  • Maintenance / repair services
  • Engineering

     

    

Go to the interactice Map "Railway Technology in Saxony"
Güterzug-Lok von ITL Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH (Tochtergesellschaft der Captrain-Gruppe)

Source: ITL Eisenbahngesellschaft mbH

Companies working the switches

Saxony’s railway technology industry is dominated mainly by the two Alstom production sites in Bautzen and in Görlitz as well as a supply industry made up of small and mid-sized enterprises. The primary fields of competence include the sectors lightweight structures, information / infotainment systems, control and signaling technology, drive and propulsion technology, traffic route engineering and track construction, engineering as well as repair / maintenance.

PAVING THE TRACKS FOR THE FUTURE

In Saxony, more than 25 research institutes and universities are active in the field of railway technology. They include, in particular, the Dresden University of Technology, the Dresden University of Applied Sciences, the Fraunhofer Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems IVI Dresden, as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU with its offices in Chemnitz, Dresden and Zittau.

Quelle: Rail.S e. V.

Rail.S - Saxony's Railway Cluster

The “Rail.S” cluster evolved from the merger of the two clusters BTS Rail Saxony and Innovation Center Rail Technology Europe (IZBE) – both of which were founded in Saxony. It unites more than 100 companies from business, science, and the rail industry under its roof. Rail.S pursues the objective of strengthening the rail industry and, in particular, small and medium sized suppliers of the railroad branch. Whether it be cooperation projects, joint sales promotion, or coordinated access to international markets – as a contact and cooperation platform, Rail.S connects its members with the right partners. Towards this end, Rail.S benefits from an existing trans-European network of more than 1,000 contacts from business, science, and politics. In addition, Rail.S organizes scientific-technical conferences and supports continued education and training within the branch. Rail.S is a member of the European Railway Cluster Initiative ERCI.

Your Contact Person


Dr. André Günther
Industry, Innovation & Marketing
Phone: +49 (351) 2138-242 Fax: +49 (351) 2138-109

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