DZSF
Acronym: DZSF Address: August-Bebel-Straße 10, 01219 Dresden
One of the main goals of the German Federal Government is to strengthen the rail transport. Therefore supporting innovations is of central importance. With the founding of the German Centre for Rail Traffic Research (DZSF), the activities in rail transport research have been reorganized and intensified.
The German Centre for Rail Traffic Research operates as an independent, technical-scientific departmental research institution of the German Federal Government. Its official residences as an independent research institute the Federal Railway Authority are located in the cities of Dresden and Bonn. The aim of the Centre is to strengthen rail transport in Germany through application-oriented and solution-focused research the results of which not only contribute to the development of important innovations, but also ensure that these innovations are put into practice and can be used by the entire sector.
The expertise of the German Centre for Rail Traffic Research helps to provide science-based elaboration of current issues of the German Government. The German Centre for Rail Traffic Research coordinates research activities and adequately govern topics of research. In this way, budget funds can be used in a targeted and effective manner.
The railway sector is involved through a Scientific Advisory Board, research contracts, and research funding. Colloquia support the transfer of knowledge.
- local rail passenger transport (SPNV) according to the German Ordinance on the Construction and Operation of Railways (EBO) and the German Ordinance on the Construction and Operation of Street Railways (BOStrab);
- long-distance rail passenger transport (SPFV);
- goods rail transport (SGV); and
- rail transport infrastructure.
- Economic efficiency
- Environment and sustainable mobility
- Safety
- Director: Eckhard Roll
- Federal Railway Authority (EBA) President: Stefan Dernbach
- Chairperson of the Scientific Advisory Board: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Martina Schraudner
- Digitalization and Technology: Advancing the Digital Capacity Management (DCM) framework and Automatic Train Operation (ATO) by analyzing human vs. machine performance in train operations.
- Research Infrastructure: Co-operating the ETCS-Lab with the Eisenbahn-Bundesamt (EBA) to simulate European Train Control System (ETCS) operations, which optimizes approval processes and safety-critical testing virtually.
- Mobility, Climate, and Sustainability: Investigating the macroeconomic impacts of rail sector investments, assessing the viability of Hyperloop systems, and researching drone technology (UAS) integration for rail traffic management.
- Dissemination: Hosting forums such as the „Wissenschaft und Praxis“ and international conferences regarding drone applications in rail systems