Deutsche Bahn wants to create climate-friendly and attractive services for its customers beyond the rail. Especially in rural areas, public transport services are often still limited or insufficient. Here, autonomous bus lines and on-demand shuttles can be the key to comprehensive local public transport and to encouraging climate-friendly shifts from cars to buses and trains. DB Regio is taking on a pioneering role here.

With pilot projects such as KIRA and ULTIMO, DB Regio is testing so-called Level 4 technology, in which vehicles move autonomously and driverless, within a defined area.

Comprehensive service package for the industry 

For autonomous driving to function successfully, effective interaction between various components and partners is necessary. DB Regio plays a central role here by bundling all technical and operational components into a holistic mobility solution and making them available to the various local transport authorities.

Study underlines the efficiency of autonomous driving

The study "Autonomous driving - the key to tomorrow's mobility" commissioned by DB Regio shows that autonomous driving can massively improve the quality of public transport. Detailed scenarios for the year 2045 were used to examine how autonomous driving can create maximum benefits for people in Germany. According to the study, autonomous driving is most efficient when it is integrated into public transport, which is additionally expanded and structured differently. Self-driving shuttles play a central role in this. The study was carried out in collaboration with the software and transport planning company ioki, the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Prognos AG. A cross-industry advisory board of experts supported the study.

More information about autonomous driving at DB Regio (only available in German)