Deutsche Bahn modernizes information systems at train stations and expands video surveillance

According to Deutsche Bahn, the company has started to renew the information boards at its train stations. Probably the most significant change is that real-time data on the expected trains will be displayed in the future. The data at the station will then match that displayed in the app and will be much more accurate than before. The modernization will be accompanied by an expansion of monitoring systems.

Real-time information at the station

Anyone waiting for a Deutsche Bahn train today receives only very inaccurate information at the station: Instead of exact arrival times, the scheduled departure and very schematic information on delays are displayed. In the app, on the other hand, the information is much more precise. In addition to information on the reason for the delay, the app provides up-to-the-minute forecasts of the expected arrival. This makes planning easier – especially when connecting trains need to be reached.

Deutsche Bahn has now set itself the goal of also making real-time data available on the display boards at the stations. The corresponding modernization has already begun. By the end of the current year, 1,700 display boards at 300 stations are already to be replaced. By 2029, a total of 7,000 new information boards are to be installed at 730 locations.

More accurate data from the Southeast regional area

Cornelia Kadatz, the Southeast Regional Area Manager of DB Station & Service, provided further details on the planned modernization work, pointing out that the new boards should also be easier to read as well as better protected against vandalism. In the Southeast regional area, which includes the states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, the largest stations will initially be equipped with the new boards, according to Kadatz. Less frequented stops are to follow at a later date. Work has already been completed at Leipzig Central Station. In Dresden, they are currently underway; Magdeburg, Halle and Erfurt are to follow in the near future. The modernization at Deutsche Bahn was announced earlier this year.

More video surveillance at train stations

In addition to the modernization plans, Deutsche Bahn is expanding its surveillance at train stations. For example, the number of cameras at stations is to be increased from around 9,000 at present to 11,000. The cameras are also to have a wider viewing angle than those currently in use. In addition, the resulting image is to be sharper.