German Centre for Rail Traffic Research at the Federal Railway Authority

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Structure and Organisation

The German Centre for Rail Traffic Research (DZSF) is an independent, technical-scientific departmental research facility of the German Federal Government. Its official residences as a separate federal institute within the Federal Railway Authority are located in the cities of Dresden and Bonn.

In accordance with the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV), administrative supervision of the German Centre for Rail Traffic Research is held by the president of the Federal Railway Authority. Technical supervision is held by the BMDV.

Standorte des DZSF

The main working areas of the German Centre for Rail Traffic Research are determined by the topic areas and cross-cutting issues of the Federal Research Programme for Rail Transport (see topic areas). The German Centre for Rail Traffic Research works interdisciplinarily. To further develop the complex railway system, all interfaces between vehicles, infrastructure, operation, and especially between humans and technology, have to be considered.

Integration of the Railway Sector and Science

The goal is to reorganize and intensify the existing research activities in the field of rail transport. This will be realised by

  • interlocking research and development of the industry, science, and departmental research through research contracts and research funding
  • cooperation with national and international research facilities and test facilities, e.g. Shift2Rail, the BMDV Network of Experts, departmental research facilities of the German Federal Government
  • transfer of ideas and knowledge, e.g. via colloquia
  • establishing a Scientific Advisory Board

Collaboration with the BMDV Network of Experts

A special form of collaboration exists with the BMDV Network of Experts “Knowledge – Ability – Action”. A total of seven subordinate authorities of the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport collectively work on research issues concerning the safe and sustainable development of transport systems in Germany. The German Centre for Rail Traffic Research takes over the tasks of the Federal Railway Authority and, together with the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG), the Federal Waterways Engineering and Research Institute (BAW), the German Meteorological Service (DWD), the Federal Office for Goods Transport (BAG), the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), and the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt), it creates a new format in departmental research.

Further information on BMDV Network of Experts