Industrial 5G for Rail Maintenance at Deutsche Bahn

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The Global mobile Suppliers Association recently held its Enterprise 5G Snapshot Webinar, highlighting momentum in private mobile networks worldwide and featuring an insightful end-user perspective from Deutsche Bahn. Alexander Bentkus from Deutsche Bahn shared an in-depth look at how the organisation is applying industrial 5G across rail maintenance operations, providing a useful real-world example of how private cellular networks are evolving beyond pilots and into scaled industrial deployment.

The presentation reinforced that private 5G continues to gain ground, supported by dedicated industry spectrum and growing maturity of technology and integration frameworks. For Deutsche Bahn, the decision to adopt private 5G is rooted in improving maintenance efficiency, enabling new digital workflows and providing reliable connectivity where Wi-Fi has historically struggled.

Deutsche Bahn operates a vast maintenance estate that supports more than 650 long-distance trains and over 4,000 regional trains across Germany. With more than 100 maintenance depots nationwide, the scope for digital transformation is significant. Maintenance and operational workflows increasingly rely on tablets, connected tools, software updates, robotics and video-based inspection. This demands uninterrupted connectivity in challenging industrial environments, including inside rail vehicles, underneath rolling stock and across outdoor yards.

According to Deutsche Bahn, reliability rather than ultra-low latency is the core requirement. A consistent connection, even at modest latency levels, supports real-time digital workflows without the need for offline caching or backup processes. This shifts application design, lowers software development effort and streamlines the operational model. Private 5G also provides secure outdoor connectivity, allowing use cases to move beyond buildings and into yards and tracks, an area where Wi-Fi traditionally faces coverage and interference challenges.

The initial private 5G deployment took place at the Krefeld maintenance facility in 2023. This proof of concept validated coverage, reliability and commercial viability. The network provides seamless connectivity inside trains, beneath carriages, across workshop floors and outdoors, supporting several operational applications.

Current use cases include digital maintenance processes via tablets, software updates to trains through secure links, connected tools for torque documentation and robotic equipment for inspection and logistics. For example, electronic torque tools now automatically record tightening force, eliminating the need for two workers to manually operate and document critical fastenings. Under-floor inspection robots allow remote visual checks, improving safety and efficiency.

Logistics automation is also emerging as a driver. At one site, an autonomous bogie transport platform capable of carrying 10 tonnes is being integrated with private 5G, opening the door to further automated industrial mobility.

Following successful validation, Deutsche Bahn has launched commercial deployments at facilities such as Cottbus, a major new rail manufacturing and maintenance site. This deployment includes indoor and outdoor coverage with significantly fewer components than an equivalent Wi-Fi build. Early estimates indicate around a third of the infrastructure components required for a comparable Wi-Fi solution, while still offering continuity across operational spaces.

The company is also exploring advanced concepts. One example is remote train positioning, where a driver can guide a train from a control room to the boarding point before taking control on site. Another trial focuses on outdoor robotic inspection using private 5G for continuous video and control. These use cases highlight ambitions to move beyond connectivity uplift into new operating models.

While the technology is advancing quickly, integration with operational technology remains an area requiring further development. Many industrial equipment vendors are still slow to embed native 5G connectivity, creating adoption barriers and limiting plug-and-play deployment. Certification frameworks for enterprise environments are also less mature than those for public networks, and end-to-end operational support remains complex for enterprises without specialist teams.

Spectrum availability in Germany has enabled rapid deployment, helped by straightforward and low-cost licensing in the 3.7 to 3.8 GHz band. However, SIM numbering and device interoperability considerations are prompting Deutsche Bahn to move toward its own mobile network code to ensure consistent compatibility and future-proofing.

Deutsche Bahn’s deployment demonstrates that industrial 5G is no longer just a test-bed concept. When applied to large-scale, process-driven operations with mobility requirements, private 5G can provide tangible operational value, extend digital workflows outdoors and open opportunities for automation and remote operations. While device ecosystems and enterprise certification processes must mature further, the momentum behind private 5G for industrial environments continues to build.

The GSA webinar provided valuable insight into how private 5G is moving into day-to-day industrial settings, supported by clear goals, strong spectrum policy and vendor engagement. The Deutsche Bahn experience offers a useful benchmark for infrastructure operators and industrial enterprises pursuing similar transformations.

For those interested in exploring the discussion in more depth, the webinar recording is embedded below:

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