Deutsche Bahn has committed to redue its greenhouse gas emissions to net zero across the entire value chain by 2040. One important lever is phasing out diesel. However, there will be still routes in the future on which goods and passengers cannot always be transported to their destination electrically due to geographical or operational characteristics. For these cases, DB is working on solutions to reduce fuel consumption.

Together with partners, DB Cargo has developed what is known as ECO-Tuning for shunting locomotives. The engine control system is adjusted so that fuel consumption is reduced while maintaining the same performance. The tuning process takes only 15 minutes and can easily be installed via a smartphone software update. The locomotives therefore don’t need to be brought into the maintenance depot. Thanks to this specially developed solution, many of DB’s shunting locomotives in Germany and Europe are already operating more efficiently today.