DB ML Group

Group profile

We are involved in creating and operating the transportation networks of the future: Today, we move people and freight, thanks to our integrated operation of transport and infrastructure elements, as well as our intelligent economical and ecological linkage of all modes of transport.

With the passage of the German Rail Reform Act in 1994, we took on the task of converting the former Federal Railways into a commercial enterprise. During the earlier years we placed special emphasis on modernizing the rail business and eliminating the backlog in capital expenditures that had accumulated over decades. We have achieved a lasting improvement in our service offers, quality and profitability due to our resolute cost management and the continual optimization of our processes combined with numerous modernization measures.

We are established as an integrated Group with regard to our business portfolio, and consider our focus on interrelated business units as a significant success factor. The business portfolio of Deutsche Bahn Group (DB Group) is primarily organized into nine business units. Deutsche Bahn AG (DB AG) manages the DB Netze Track, DB Netze Energy and DB Netze Stations business units directly. The remaining six business units regarding mobility and logistics activities, as well as most of our service activities, fall under the management of our fully owned subsidiary, DB Mobility Logistics AG (DB ML AG). The business activities of DB Group and DB ML Group are closely interrelated. The close link between DB Group and DB ML Group is also reflected by our integrated approach to strategy, organization and management. This approach allows us to preserve the synergies that are realized through interactions between the carriers and the infrastructure. For example, we are able to strengthen our competitive position for intermodal rail freight transport.

In our rail business, our primary goals are maintaining our strong market position in the passenger and freight transport sector and improving our competitive edge in the field of intermodal transport. Our Group’s integrated structure is a fundamental prerequisite for accepting comprehensive responsibility for the further development of the overall rail system.

In addition to furthering the development of the rail system in Germany, our home market, we have also successively added to and expanded our portfolio in the European rail market as well as in the worldwide freight forwarding and logistics business. These steps have enabled us to further align DB Group’s activities with changing and more demanding customer requirements as we made targeted enhancements to our core business. The acquisitions of Schenker (2002) and BAX (2006), in particular, unlocked additional potential for us to expand in European land transport, in the international air and ocean freight business, and in the field of contract logistics. The acquisitions of EWS in 2007, Transfesa in 2008 and the logistics part of Polish PCC Logistics in 2009 marked a further expansion of our position in the European rail freight transport sector.

The European passenger transport market gains even more significance in the future for us due to our acquisition of Arriva in the year of 2010. In 2008, we already achieved our entry into the British rail passenger transport market by acquiring shares in Laing Rail Ltd. in 2008, significantly strengthening our position in the European rail market. Today, we have leading market positions in all of the relevant transport segments.

Within our Group’s structure, DB ML AG and DB AG both function as management holding companies that lead the Group. Very close cooperation between the Management Boards of DB AG and DB ML AG is ensured by the fact that both corporations share some of the same Management Board members and that Board meetings are held together. This helps to ensure that synergies between the individual companies can be realized. The business units are responsible for the conduct of our business operations. Our structure is rounded out by central group and service functions, some of which are performed by DB ML AG and some of which are performed by DB AG.

Last modified: 29.03.2012